Mentoring Rangers 101
by Arytra
Summary: After school, comes college.  After Rangering, comes mentoring.  A new villain is going to force the DT Rangers to prove their abilities as assistant mentors for Tommy and Kim while still healing the scars from being Rangers.  Sequel to Power Mentors.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for a few characters that I created. They belong to Saban and Disney, but not me. I'm just… borrowing them

**Chapter 1: A New Year**

"Remind me, Kim. Why was I happy that they stayed in Reefside?" Tommy Oliver demanded as he opened the fridge to get a sandwich only to realize that they were out of sliced meat _again_. He closed the fridge in annoyance and moved away toward the couch where his fiancé was relaxing and he knew from years of experience that she was very amused. Kimberly Hart sat up and looked over the side so that he could see her and verify that she was indeed entertained.

"Because you love them?" She offered and Tommy gave her a look. "You do, you're just mad that they took your turkey again."

"You _let_ them take my turkey again," Tommy said and she looked a little guilty at the accusation. "Kim!"

"They were over studying and they had class. I couldn't just let them starve!" Kim protested as she got up from her perch and began to clean off the coffee table. Fortunately, they'd taught the teens to clean up after themselves, but there were still magazines, Dinosaur bones, and smoothie recipes on the table. The last was for Hayley who had asked Kim for help in finding new drinks for the café. "Besides, you remember college. There was never anything good to eat with that dorm food and their parents moved out of town after the attacks stopped."

"They were the smart ones," Tommy muttered. "We were stupid enough to stick around."

"You're just grumpy because you have detention detail again this week," Kim said scolding. Her fiancé sighed and rolled his eyes. "Speaking of which, Tommy, please don't encourage these kids to break and enter, okay?"

"I did not encourage Conner, Ethan, or Kira to break and enter! I encouraged them to find a rock! And now, thanks to those stupid gems, I have to remind them that they need to be careful with their powers so that they don't get caught," Tommy started and Kim picked up her soda off the table to have a sip, knowing she was in for another rant. The caffeine made it easier. "And before you start telling me how smart they are, let me remind you that these are the same three teens who came up with the 'brilliant' get Doctor O and Kimberly together plan."

"Be fair, Tommy. Trini and Jason helped," she reminded him. "I think you're grumpy because you're not a Ranger anymore."

"Would you stop saying I'm grumpy?" He snapped. She glanced back up at him.

"Then stop being grumpy," she answered. Before he could retort, the door swung open and laughter came in to. Tommy groaned, but Kim just laughed at his annoyance as the three teenagers walked into the house, talking about their various day, professors, and the evils of homework. Tommy glared at them.

"Haven't you three ever heard of knocking?" He snapped. They all looked a little surprised at that and Conner turned to Kim.

"He's grumpy?" He asked and she nodded.

"I gave you guys his turkey and now he's grumpy. Plus, he has detention detail," she answered. All three shivered at that and Ethan leaned into Kim. Before he said anything, she just nodded. "Yes, I told him not to give them excuses to break into our house."

"Cool," Ethan answered. "Because while we got to be Rangers because of it, I wouldn't want you guys to have to deal with the 'a raptor ate my son' lawsuit. Plus, that would give us away. I don't know anyone else who owns raptors."

"Hey Kim, sorry to change the subject, but we were talking about it and we were wondering. If I was attacked and couldn't fight my way out of it, since there wouldn't be anyone else around, could I use my power?" Kira asked. Kim shrugged.

"I don't see why not. And whatever comes out of Tommy's mouth next, unless it's agreeing, just ignore that too," Kim said. Tommy gave her a look and then looked sternly at Kira.

"Don't overuse it, but I'd rather we all get caught than have something like that happen to you," he answered seriously. Kira smiled at him and nodded. He sighed and turned to the other two who were making aww noises behind him. "And for some reason, I'd also hate for anything to happen to the two of you."

"Ah, Doctor O. You'd miss us if we weren't here," Ethan said happily. Tommy rolled his eyes.

"How would I know? You're never gone… Conner! That's dinner!" Tommy called out as the other teen had gotten into the fridge and grabbed a carrot stick. Conner looked at it and then back at his former teacher.

"Dude, you need better eating habits. A carrot? For dinner?" He asked and Tommy threw his hands up.

"It was going with the roast!" He answered. "That's it! In the jeep! All of you. That goes for you two Miss 'I couldn't let them starve.' If you're going to eat me out of house and home, then you're going to help shop for it!"

"I don't suppose saying we have to study is going to get us out of this?" Conner tried and Tommy glared. Conner winced. "Didn't think so. Okay, okay, we're going."

Tommy made sure all of them were out before he followed, locking the door behind him. There were two things he had learned from before: lock your doors and don't convince detention students to do anything. The last thing he needed was more of them.

* * *

Jason Scott finished the class and headed away from his students to get some water. They had headed out the door, pretty calmly considering, and he felt luckier than Tommy who constantly had teens running out on him the first change they had. He sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair as he finished his drink before looking up to see Zack Taylor coming toward him. He quickly clasped the other's arm and pulled him into a hug. "What are you doing here?" 

"Trini invited me over for dinner. Then she sent me to make sure it was fine with you," Zack answered. He leaned in so that only Jason could hear him. "We're celebrating."

"She finished them?" Jason asked and Zack nodded. "Finally. I was so worried we'd have another catastrophe."

"You're not the only one," Zack answered. "I made her go back through everything to make sure she didn't screw up. And like I keep telling you both, Conner and the others could stall things until we got it done. We even got mimicked suits made up for them in case they needed to fake it."

"It's not the same, Zack. Yes, we're lucky we have them, but we need actual Rangers if the time comes. Besides, they'd probably be out the door before we handed them anything," he whispered back. "What about the new zords?"

"They're fine, they're ready, they're hidden," Zack answered, rolling his eyes. "You know, I know I wasn't here for it, but were Kim and Tommy this annoying when they were getting everything ready?"

"They had more time," Jason answered. Zack shrugged.

"Oh yeah, there was one more thing. She said she called you earlier and left a voice mail, but you never got back to her," Zack mentioned. Jason sighed, but nodded and noticed Zack's worried face.

"What's wrong?' He asked. "She's okay, right?"

"Yes, but she's… uh… sort of upset," Zack answered. Jason's worried look turned dark. "Now, I only found out because I was there and she wasn't quiet over it and it sort of messed things up and she's happy but she's not and…"

"Your babbling, Zack," Jason sighed. The other man shrugged and handed Jason the phone with the most serious look he could get on his face.

"You need to call her," he said. Jason took the phone from his friend and dialed the number in to call his wife. He patiently waited for through the rings, though Trini caught it on the third one. She often did.

_"Jason?" _Trini asked. Zack wasn't kidding, she sounded upset, worried, yet happy. It was a weird mix.

"Hey Sweetheart. What's wrong?" Jason asked and there was silence on the line for a moment.

_"Promise me you won't be angry," _she demanded. Her request surprised him as Jason wasn't a violent person by nature. There really was no need for her to ask him that, but he answered anyway.

"I promise I won't be mad," he agreed.

_"I'm pregnant."_

Jason's face lit up. "That's wonderful, Honey! I couldn't be happier! Why did you think I'd be…" His voice faded as he realized what she had. The news of a new baby was wonderful news and they had hoped to be parents eventually, but with the creation of the new morphers and if there was any trouble, they were out of the game. All of the work that had been put into it and they had to forfeit their turn as mentors.

_"Jason? Are you there?" _She asked and he took a breath, pushing any bad feelings aside for his wife's sake. Besides, it was wonderful news no matter how they looked at it.

"Yeah, I'm here," he assured her. "There will be more chances. Besides, we're going to have a baby!"

Trini's entire demeanor seemed to match her husband's as they switched from distraught to ecstatic and Zack wasn't much better, including offering to get them whatever they needed for the nursery, up to and including building them a nursery.

That said, Zack was also the only other one whose mind had turned to the others affected by this. Neither he nor Billy were as capable due to restrictions on their lifestyles. Billy had a daughter and Zack's work often took preference. While they had agreed to be mentors so long ago, both of them were far better as secondary mentors which the group knew. They'd accepted that after the Dino Thunder era the year before. That meant that the two who had thought they were getting a break as secondary mentors were going to have to step up to the plate again. The only consolation prize was that they had the Dino Thunder Rangers as backup and assistants this time.

His heart went out to his friends, but his mind mostly stayed focused on the fact that he was going to be an uncle again and this time, he was going to get to spoil the kid from the start.

* * *

"And what did we learn from this excursion?" Kim asked Tommy as he entered his house holding his face in his hands. The other three were happily bringing in the groceries. 

"Are you talking to us, Kim? 'Cause, I learned that eating Doctor O's turkey means I get free Cocoa Puffs," Conner answered as he and the other two helped put the groceries away. Tommy was just shaking his head.

"Why me?" He asked and Kim pat his back. "Is this payback for being the Green Ranger?"

"I don't think so," Kim answered. "Second shelf, Ethan. That goes on the second shelf. Thank you! I just think you're stressed out a bit and now you don't have anything to take your frustrations out on. Conner, that goes on the bottom shelf in the fridge. Maybe you should call Jason and you two can go out in the woods together."

"Hey, Doctor O? Did you know you've got messages?" Kira asked, holding up his cell-phone. Tommy looked at Kim.

"That would probably be a good idea," he agreed and then turned toward Kira. "Thanks, Kira."

"No problem, Doctor O," she answered happily as she got back to work. Tommy picked up the phone and went to replay the message.

_"Tommy, it's Jason. Look, I've, uh, got some news for you… Trini, you do it."_

_"Oh no. I left my message on Kim's cell-phone. You need to tell Tommy."_

_"Zack?"_

_"Are you kidding? I'm not doing it! Ask Billy."_

_"Negative. You are on your own, Jason."_

_"Tommy, Bro, you're not going to be happy… Neen?"_

_"Okay! Uncle Tommy? Aunt Trini's gonna have a baby so if there's trouble, you will be the mentor, okay? Love you! Bye! See? That was not hard."_

_"You faced Goldar, on your own, nearly to the death, but you couldn't tell Tommy?"_

_"Hey, it took me fifteen minutes to get you to call Kim…"_

The message ended there and Tommy blinked at his phone. "Kim? Check your messages," he said robotically. "Trini called."

"Umm… Okay," his fiancé answered and left the room. The three younger former Rangers looked at their teacher a little worried.

"Hey, Doctor O? Are you okay?" Kira asked carefully. "He doesn't look so good."

Conner nodded. "Is everything okay? Everyone's still alive, right?" Tommy just nodded as a scream came from the other room. All four glanced up in the direction as Kim came racing back out, more than a little excited.

"Trini's pregnant!" She cheered. The three younger Rangers leapt up and down with her.

"Can we baby-sit?" Asked Kira.

"When are they going to have it?" Asked Ethan.

"Dude, as soon as that kid can crawl, I'm teaching them how to play soccer," Conner finished. "Hey Doctor O! You're going to be an uncle!"

"I know," he said quietly. Kim looked at him strangely.

"Tommy, what's wrong?" She asked and he pointed at the teenagers.

"If something goes wrong, we have to mentor more of them!" He answered. All three looked a little insulted, but Kim motioned to brush it off. She wrapped her arms around him. "And Jason couldn't even tell me! None of the guys would tell me."

"Then who did?" Kim asked and Tommy looked at her.

"Neen," he answered. Kim couldn't help him. She just started laughing. Conner, Ethan, and Kira were trying to hold in their snickers, but they were soon joining in. Fortunately, Tommy joined in shortly afterward. After all, they might have driven him nuts, but they were his family and Ethan was right. He would miss them if they were gone.

* * *

"I can't believe you guys made Neen do it!" Trini exclaimed. "She's six. You're in your late twenties. You have less courage than a child!" 

Neen had mimicked Trini's stance as the three other mentors looked a little embarrassed. She'd waited a night so that she could talk to Kim, which had given the men of the house a night's reprieve from this lecture. They'd been trying to convince her that she got the easy job of telling Kim and both Billy and Zack had tried to abandon Jason to the 'he's the father' clause, but Trini was having none of it. The former yellow Ranger held her head and sighed. She headed toward one of the other rooms and came out with four morphers, each of them a different color: red, blue, green, and yellow. She handed them to the three boys and then pulled out a disk, handing it to Billy.

"These are the new morphers. You're going to hand deliver them to Kim and Tommy," she told them. "The disk has the rest of the information on weaponry and the new zords that they'll need. And guys? When I say you're going to deliver it to them, I mean both of them. Please, don't forget that Kim and I still do talk and I'll know if you don't. I'll watch Neen. Now get going!"

Jason waited until she was out of earshot before he turned to the other two. "This is going to be a long nine months."

* * *

Benjamin Striker ran a hand through his short brownish-blonde hair as he worked. The young botanist had been trying to get this to work for over three months now and he wasn't about to show it to Anton Mercer until he had it right. His hazel eyes went back over everything again, making sure he'd done this right and he finally accepted that he had gone over it perfectly. It was now just dependant on Mother Nature to give it the strength to grow or to leave it dead in the dirt. 

"Hi Ben!" Ben nearly fell over at the voice, shocked that anyone else was there. He turned around to see Tara Snow behind him smiling. The young woman's long brown hair bounced against her back as she moved in place. She glanced over at what he was doing and then back at him. "So, plants, huh?"

"What else would I be up to, Tara?" He asked, a little exasperated. "I don't want to be rude, but why are you here?"

"Umm… oh yeah! You missed science again," she answered helpfully and then frowned. "You know, Ben, you really should stop doing that before you get detention."

Ben winced, glancing at his watch on the table. She was right. It was fifteen minutes after the end of class. "Ah jeez. Did he notice?"

"Yeah. He noticed. If it makes you feel better, I was late!" She said helpfully, her bouncy demeanor coming back. "I got scolded."

"I'm sorry," Ben said, but Tara shrugged.

"He's a nice teacher," she answered. "Maybe you should talk to him. You know, let him know that you lose track of time. Hey, is it going to be a flower this time?"

"No, Tara," he told her, but couldn't help from smiling. He didn't have a lot of friends, in fact he really only had Tara, and while he knew she could be annoying sometimes, she still managed to brighten his day. "So, why were you late this time?"

"Well, first I forgot my binder. Then I forgot my book," she answered. "Oh yeah and then Principal Randall dropped some stuff in the hall and I kinda felt bad for her, so I had to help."

"So, two forgets and a good deed? Sounds like you," he told her as he finished up. Her green eyes sparkled with delight at her friend's comment as she obviously took it as a full compliment.

"I know. I can't help it," she answered. "I see someone in trouble and I have to help."

"It's a good thing, Tara. You just need to learn when to take care of yourself too." He dusted himself off. "So, you really think I should talk to him, huh?"

"Yeah, he's not that bad," Tara said with an amused look. "He's not going to eat you."

"He might yell at me though," Ben answered. Tara threw her arm around his shoulders and smiled.

"I know you're shy, Ben, but sometimes you've got to speak up. I'll come with you," she offered. "We don't have anymore classes today anyway."

"Thanks, Tara," he told her honestly. "I just hope that Doctor Oliver is as understanding as you."

* * *

"So, you know what's wrong with it?" Jera Law pulled herself out from the hood looking more than annoyed. The African-American young woman made an annoyed noise and wiped her hands off with the rag he'd provided her. 

"Yeah, you're not taking good care of it. When was the last time you got the oil changed or flushed the transmission fluid? For the love of God, it's a mess in there. No wonder it's stalling," she answered. She reached up to make sure that all of her hair was still tied back before glancing back at her classmate. "I think I can get it running for you, but take it to a mechanic."

"You are a mechanic," her classmate answered and she frowned.

"Then start paying me," she snapped. "Alright… Try it again."

It took a few tries, but shortly after the car started up again. The boy quickly thanked her and was rushing off. Jera rolled her eyes and shook her head as she muttered to herself. "I bet he doesn't even take it to a mechanic. He'll just expect me to fix it tomorrow."

"Here's an idea. Don't." Jera turned her attention to the voice and smiled a bit at the other came toward her. Seth Turner had his arms folded and was leaning on one of the nearby cars with an amused smile on his face. Jera sighed.

"Seth, do I have a sign on me anywhere that says I'm willing to do work for free?" She asked. "Because that's the third time this week!"

"Not that I can see," he assured her. "I don't see why you don't mess up some of those cars. Half of the people in them treat you like crap the rest of the time."

"Because unlike you, I don't have a vengeance streak," she answered. "And I might have messed with the alternator."

"Jera, you rock," he told her as she grinned back.

"I am the best," she answered. "I don't think anyone knows their way around a car better than I do."

"And so modest," Seth teased, clasping his hands behind his red mop of hair to stretch. She rolled her eyes.

"Better that than you. You're constantly moping around. It's annoying," Jera scolded. "Seriously, you're great at writing. Just because your dad was psycho with the sports, doesn't mean you need to be."

"I'm so glad we had this pep talk," he said sardonically. "Remember when you asked me _why_ you can't get a date? I think I figured it out."

"You're such an ass," she answered. "You got homework?"

"Yep," he answered.

"You need help with it?"

"Yep."

"Cool. Come on."

* * *

Tommy held his head. The news that his friends had called him over, or gotten Neen to say as it were, was still swimming in his head. Conner, Ethan, and Kira had all promised to help with whatever he needed when the time came and his instincts, as well as Kim's were telling him that it would be soon. Worse, teenagers didn't seem to change and those who did show up, seemed distracted for most of the class. He was really starting to wish that he'd chosen one of the middle classes instead of the senior class to teach. 

Elsa was doing her best to help by making sure his workload wasn't overly horrible, but she was still the principal and a firm believer that everyone needed to do their part and that included him. He was pretty sure once he told her about this she'd let him off the hook more if he had Rangers, but other than that it was just a bad week. He set another paper aside wondering how some people could be so clueless when he heard the door open. He inwardly groaned as he recognized Tara from before. His lecture had been as quick as he could manage it, but he was never sure if he got through to her.

"Hi Doctor Oliver!" She said happily. "Sorry to bother you, but Ben… Ben?" She turned around to look for someone, but seeing that she was the only one there, she sighed and reached out the door, dragging in a young man. "Ben needs to talk to you."

"Hello," Ben said, looking incredibly uncomfortable. Tara gave him a bit of a nudge and the boy continued. "I'm sorry I missed class."

Tommy ran through his class and remembered calling the name and having no one answer. He sighed, but couldn't help but to be a little impressed. Usually, they didn't just show back up. He pushed back his annoyance and put forth the understanding teacher. "Why were absent?"

"I, uh, lost track of time." The poor teenager looked completely mortified by the whole thing and he messed a bit with his hands. "I was working in the green house and I guess I didn't hear the alarm. Again. I'm really sorry."

"Does Principal Randall know?" Tommy asked and the boy shook his head. "Okay, look. Don't miss it again and we'll pretend this time didn't happen, okay? Tara, can you get him caught up?"

"Sure!" She said happily. "Come on, Ben! See, I told you he was nice. You worry too much…"

Tommy sighed and shook his head. He knew that they were good kids, but they were really starting to give him a headache. He reached to pick things up, when a voice interrupted him. "You know, you really shouldn't do that."

Tommy groaned and turned around. "Hello, Elsa."

The principal had kept her hair down since she'd gotten her job back and her arms were folded, but she looked a little amused. "Contrary to your belief, there are other teachers in the school. Just because _you_ don't give them detention, doesn't mean they're not. You still have to do it."

"So, how come you're letting me get away with this one?" He asked and Elsa laughed a bit as she sat on his desk.

"Tara helped me with some papers early. I figured you giving her and her friend a break wasn't that bad," Elsa answered. "By the way, before you think about it, I'd like to remind you that Conner and the others can track you down. So don't try to go invisible this time to get out of it."

"One time and I'm labeled for life," he muttered. "Elsa, we need to talk."

She immediately changed her demeanor and looked serious. "What's wrong?"

"Well, both Kim and I have been getting bad feelings about something and just as importantly, Trini's pregnant," he told her.

"That's bad and really good. So, what's really wrong?" She asked again.

"With Trini pregnant, that puts the head mentorship back on Kim and my shoulders. The teens have offered to help, but Trini told Kim that she's sending her the morphers and the information for it all," he explained. She just nodded.

"So, if that happens, you'll need the Ranger privileges again," she said. He nodded.

"Hopefully to a smaller degree, but anything that you could do for the newer ones would be great," he said. She nodded.

"I'll see what I can do."

* * *

"Trini's right. It's just Tommy. We have nothing to worry about," Jason said. All three were still sitting in the car outside of the house. They knew that their pink former teammate knew they were there and was letting them handle it, but none of them wanted to get out of the car. "We just need to go and do this so we can go home." 

"We should have brought the kid," Zack muttered and Billy shot him a look.

"My daughter is not a shield," he snapped.

"Guys!" Jason exclaimed. "We can do this. I can take Tommy anyway."

"So why are you with us in the car?" Zack asked and Billy looked interested as well. Jason looked a little worried.

"Because I'm still in my right mind and I'm worried Tommy's going to snap," he answered. "Not a helping pep talk."

"Nope," Zack agreed. "You know, if we didn't know she'd rat us out…"

"We can't just give to Kim, Zack. Now come on. We need to do this," Jason said getting out of the car. The other two reluctantly followed as Jason knocked on the door. It opened and he was pulled into a hug by his surprisingly strong surrogate sister.

"Congratulations!" Kim squealed. "Oh, I'm so excited for you! I hope it's a boy 'cause I already have niece and a nephew was be great. Well, come inside you guys!"

Jason nodded and followed, returning the hug before he did so. The other two shrugged and followed, shutting the door behind them. The living room's furniture had been moved to the sides as it was clear that she'd been working on gymnastics before they arrived. She stretched as she headed into the room and looked back at them. Jason looked around. "So, uh, where's Tommy?"

"He'll be home any minute," she answered. "So, can I see them?"

"We're, uh, supposed to give them to both of you," Jason explained apologetically. "It's part of our 'don't use Neen to do your own work' punishment and I don't want to anger my pregnant wife anymore than I have."

Kim nodded. "You're welcome to help yourself to anything in the pantries and fridge. The teens had to help shop, so we've got a lot of junk food now."

"They're still dropping by, huh?" Jason asked and Kim smiled.

"Yep. Just as much as they used to. They study, they train, they just visit… I'm starting to think we see them more than when they were Rangers," she joked and then her smile faded. "So, are you guys feeling it too?"

"The overwhelming feeling of something bad's going to happen?" Zack asked. "Oh yeah."

"I think it's making Tommy worse," she told them. "I'm even feeling a little snappy, but he's already moody. And whatever is causing it is staying pretty well-hidden from us."

"It'll show up. They always do," a voice came from the doorway and all of the former Rangers turned to look as Tommy walked in the room. "So, I hear that you have something for us. Unless, of course, you're going to have a six-year-old do that for you too."

All three had the grace to look sheepish at that. "Sorry, Bro," Jason said and pulled out the morphers, handing them over. "Billy has the rest of the information on the disk."

Tommy looked at them and nodded, showing them to Kim who took a couple of them to look at. "They're beautiful," she said. There were four of them, each small enough to conceal, but like the Dino Thunder Morphers, they were to be worn around the wrist. They each had an element on them: fire, wind, water, and earth. They were in three colors: red, yellow, blue, and green and in the middle of the element, there was a round hole, about the size to hold a small marble. It went all the way down until there was only a bit of metal separating each side. They glanced up at Jason who shrugged a bit and motioned for Billy to explain. Billy glanced at Zack who nodded and pulled a wrapped cloth out of his coat pocket. He carefully unwrapped it and there were four small spheres inside, each the color of the morphers.

"These are the powers I was able to find," he explained. Kim looked at them.

"So, you found these on Aquitar?" She asked and he shook his head.

"Only this one," he said, holding up the blue gem. "I had to visit various planets, diplomatically convince them to help me, and had to go on a slight quest for them. They're from Aquitar, Mirinoi, Kalderon, and Aeris."

"So, do we get to choose this time?" Tommy asked. At Billy's confusion, Tommy sighed. "Rangers. Do we get to choose them this time or is it the Power's choice?"

"It is always the Power's choice, but you should have some say in it," Billy answered. "The Power will let you know if they are worthy."

"Have you guys told Hayley yet?" Jason asked. "I know Trini told her about the baby, but…"

"She offered her help after she made sure we knew," Kim answered.

"And Elsa just gave me the leeway I'll need if something happens. And with the kids' present to us, we won't have to worry about having to explain everything to them. We'll just go on a field trip to Angel Grove."

"You know what the best part of all this is?" Kim asked. "None of us had to jump off of an exploding island to get this far."

Tommy rolled his eyes, though even he was smiling at her statement. "For which I assure you both Anton and I are grateful."

* * *

"I don't think the colors work that way," Conner said, relaxing the wall his bed was connected to. Kira sat between them in the beanbag they'd bought for her to be comfortable in while she visited the boys' dorm. Ethan sat across from Conner on his own bed, laptop on his bed so that he could type and talk. He looked over at them to see that Kira was agreeing with the red Ranger on this one and tried to continue the argument. 

"Seriously, if two Blues had a kid, then the kid should be blue, right? It makes sense. But, if a Yellow and a Blue had a kid, then the kid would be Green and if a Red and a Yellow had a kid, then the kid would be Orange," Ethan explained and Conner just looked at him.

"And what if a Pink and Red had a kid? What would they be then?" He asked, temporarily stumping Ethan.

"Magenta," Kira answered. "But that's not the point. The point is, it doesn't work that way. Most colors seem to be based more on personality traits and sometimes, there is no rhyme or reason. Besides, what about Jason or Doctor O? Or others who have had multiple colors?"

Ethan opened him mouth, but felt stumped at that and closed it. "Okay, fair enough. Still, I'm willing to bet Neen is a blue."

Kira laughed. "I'm willing to bet Billy will be doing everything in his power to make sure we never find out." Both boys laughed with her after that. "So, seriously, how are you guys feeling about Kim and Tommy being the head mentors again."

"Fine."

"Great."

"Couldn't be better." Both boys continued to try to give happy answers until Kira's look forced them down. Conner was the first to answer.

"Jealous. I know that they gave us the 'just because there's a new baby, doesn't mean we love you any less' speech, but I don't want to share Kim with anyone but you guys and you guys are more teamed up with Hayley and Doctor O," he explained. Ethan nodded.

"I know how you feel. I mean, Hayley and I got close during that time which was a major reason why I took the job at the café when Trent left for college," Ethan continued. They looked at Kira who nodded as well.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one. I've been feeling so selfish over the whole thing, but part of it doesn't seem fair. Doctor O is freaking out so we've been trying to help him by offering help and everything, but we haven't been able to talk to them about it. And even if we did, how could we make them understand? They stepped down. We were forced down," Kira finished. Conner looked at both of them seriously.

"Look, right now, they don't need any more stress from us. So, for now, we keep this conversation between us, okay?" Conner said in his best leadership voice. The other two nodded. "Okay. Kira, want to go get some coffee?"

"Of course!" She answered. "We'll catch you later Ethan, okay?"

"No problem, guys. I want to check this out anyway," he said motioning to the computer. "If it's alright, I'll catch up with you in an hour?"

Both of them nodded and headed out the door as Ethan focused on the computer. He pressed the right buttons to try to get it to focus again as he worked the program Hayley had given him as a graduation present. Of course, it was more of a present for Rangering than for college, but it was still a sort of graduation. After all, at the same time they'd graduated from high school, they'd graduated from being Rangers as well and moved on to assisting mentoring.

He was getting some sort of reading, but whatever reading it was, it was more advanced than Hayley's system which was why he was having to tweak it just to keep up with where the energy was instead of being able to even see what it was. After a few more minutes, he still wasn't sure what it was but he was sure of where it was. He grabbed his laptop and then his cell-phone as he ran out the door. He knew he'd given them an hour for some time alone, but this was much bigger than that.

He grabbed his key and raced out the door after his friends, hoping that the energy was good and guessing it wasn't. He raced out and sighed when he realized that Conner had taken the car. It was understandable since it was his car. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell-phone, calling them. _"Hello?"_

"Kira? Look, I know what I said, but I need you and Conner to come pick me up, okay? We might have a problem," Ethan told her.

_"What kind of problem? An important problem or you realized we have a test tomorrow problem?"_

Ethan looked around and saw the other students around campus. Taking that into consideration, he tried to figure out a way to put it. "Dino problem."

_"Got it. We'll be there soon. You know where to wait?"_

"Yeah. See you in a few," he assured her, hanging up. Soon after, they were driving up and Conner slowed to a stop long enough for Ethan to climb in before taking off again.

"So, what's the problem?" Conner asked, keeping his eyes on the road. Ethan sighed.

"I picked up an energy reading," he answered, opening the computer back up. "I'm not sure if it's good or bad, but it is around."

"Could it be the new source of power?" Kira asked. "You know, for the future Rangers?"

"Nope," Ethan answered. "Hayley and I took that into consideration so they're marked in a different color. Anything that had to do with the gems, like where our Zords were, are also marked."

Kira patted her friend's shoulder as the other looked a little upset after saying it. Ethan, most of all, still ached from the decision to abandon the Zords. Ethan smiled at her and turned back to the computer. Conner was the one to bring them out of it. "So, you know where it is?"

"Yeah," Ethan answered. "Took me forever, but I've got it marked. Why?"

"We're going to check it out. You've got a map there, left or right?" Conner asked as he drove. Ethan quickly accepted his friend's lead.

"Right," he answered. Conner nodded.

"Okay. Kira, call Doctor O or Kim and let them know what's going on. I don't want them to kill us when we get back," Conner muttered. Kira glanced at her boyfriend.

"What if they want us to wait for them?" She asked. Conner's mouth twitched up into a smile.

"Then pretend you're getting bad reception and no one answer your communicators," he answered with a shrug. "We're already on our way and whether they like it or not, we have at least some sort of power to protect us."

Kira shrugged. "Okay, but when they try to ring our necks, we're blaming you."

"Okay, fine. Just do it, okay?" Conner asked.

"Left here!" Ethan called out and Conner didn't bother to slow down as he took the turn. Kira felt Ethan knock into the middle part and kept herself from losing her cell phone from the maneuver.

"How far away is it, Ethan?" Conner asked and Ethan did some quick calculations.

"About 15 miles," he answered. "We're just doing recon, right? We're not going to try anything stupid?"

"Nope," Conner answered. "Just see what it is and leave. That's all we're doing."

"Good," Ethan answered and turned to Kira. "What'd they say?"

Kira paused for a minute. "Can they still make us train?"

Ethan shrugged. "I don't think so. I mean, our parents can't ground us and Doctor O can't give us detention."

"Good. Because otherwise, I think we'd be in training until we were thirty," she answered. "They weren't too happy when I pulled the fake static."

"Didn't expect them to be," Conner answered. All of them ignored their communicators like Conner suggested. The way he was driving reminded both of his companions of how their former teacher drove, which wasn't making them extremely comfortable. Conner's mind seemed focused and when Ethan told him to turn right, all he said was "Hold on" before whipping the car the right way. None of them were really sure why they hadn't gotten pulled over yet, but yet with that slight reprieve in mind, they wondered if that meant this was going to go well or poorly.

"This is it," Ethan said. "Right up there."

Conner nodded. "Alright. We'll leave the car here and go check it out. If it's bad, we run. If it's good, we see why they're here. Kira, if they're fast, blast them."

"Count on it," Kira assured him. They headed toward it and only saw a wreck. There was metal everywhere as well as fire. It was clear that it had crashed into the ground. Conner and Ethan headed into it while Kira stood watch, making sure that nothing would sneak up on them. Conner looked around while Ethan hacked into the onboard computer which, with the alien design, was not an easy task.

He slipped a specialized disk in to copy all of them information, so caught up in his work that he jumped when Conner touched his shoulder. The former jock smiled at him a bit. "Jumpy?"

"Yeah," Ethan answered in an annoyed tone. "Very. You find the crew?"

"What's left of them," Conner answered, smile completely gone as he was starting to turn pale. "And then I lost my lunch."

"That bad?" Ethan asked and Conner shivered.

"Whatever killed them… it was brutal, dude," Conner answered. "It was big and I think it ate some of them. So, was whatever did it on the ship when it went down?"

"I don't know. I didn't bother watching the records, I just downloaded it," the young genius answered. "There, done."

"Guys! Get out of there!" Kira screeched. Conner and Ethan glanced at each other, but raced out to where she was. Conner looked around, but didn't see anything. She pointed back at the crashed ship. "Something big and ugly just went back in there."

"What sort of ugly?" Conner asked, but Kira didn't have to answer. The creature crawled out. It was black and seemed to be a mix between a spider and a humanoid. It had eight appendages, but four were off the ground and had hands. Its face was similar in shape to a humans, with only two eyes, but other than that, it was spider-like. It glanced at them and blinked before making a horrible noise and racing at them. Kira opened her mouth to scream, but Ethan clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Don't," he whispered. They waited a moment and the creature seemed a bit confused, pausing a few feet in front of them. Ethan handed Kira off to Conner and hardened his skin. He took a deep breath and slammed his fist into the creatures head, breaking the skull. It went down and stayed down. Ethan looked over at Conner who nodded.

"Let's go," the former red Ranger agreed. "Before any of its buddies show up."

They raced to the car and threw themselves inside. Conner turned on the car and floored it out of there. Kira turned and smacked Ethan. "Why did you stop me?"

"Kira, your scream leaves vibrations. Spiders don't have ears. They hunt off of vibrations," he told her. "You would have made us more appealing."

Conner gripped the wheel harder and shook a bit. Both of his teammates quickly turned their attention to him. He didn't looked back at them, but he did acknowledge them. "Call Kim and Doctor O. We're in a lot of trouble."

"How much should I tell them?" Kira asked and Conner took a breath before answering again which led to even more worry from his teammates.

"I saw what that thing did to the aliens," he answered. "And it didn't have a lot of brains. Which means there might be something bigger and badder behind it."

"You think it was like the Tyrannodrones?" Kira asked incredulously. At his nod, she dialed up the phone. If Conner was right, they were in a lot more trouble than they thought.

* * *

**Author's note:** Here it is, the first chapter of the sequel. While there are new Rangers, this story will be more on the mentors' side of it. Therefore, similar to the first story, there will be action, but not too many fight the giant monster scenes. There will be continued relationships between Kira and Conner, Hayley and Billy, and Kim and Tommy. 

Various things will be brought up: Dealing with near death, capture anxiety, guilt, semantics of what makes one evil, and other things. I'm doing my best to keep it rated Teen, but if I screw up, please let me know so that I can change the problem to keep the rating.

Finally, before I get onto the reviews, about the creatures seen. First of all, if anyone is arachnophobic and I accidentally give you nightmares from this story, I'm sorry and know that you are in good company. Well, assuming you consider my company to be good anyway. I tried to change the look around to something that didn't haunt my sleep for several hours. It didn't work. I'm sure you can see the irony of someone with a phobia of spiders writing about man (or alien) eating giant human/spider mixes. My friend finds it funny.

So, I hope you guys enjoy this story as much as you did the previous one and thank you for all of the reviews for the last story and the final chapter of it. It meant the world to me. The one shots got pushed back when I realized that November was National Novel Writing Month and I have to try to get four chapters ahead or have less updates for you guys during that month. If I get far enough head this month, then I'll go back and finish the one shots. Otherwise, I'll probably have them out in December. Sorry guys!


	2. Two Down, Monsters Found

**Chapter 2: Two Down, Monsters Found**

"I could just kill the three of you!" Kim snapped as the three youngest former Rangers walked through the door. Her arms were folded and Conner hadn't seen that look on her face since their final battle the year before. Only, instead of just facing Kim, they were facing down all of the former Rangers minus Trini and they were pretty sure that Hayley, Elsa, and Dr. Mercer would hear about it as well. Ethan and Kira looked remorseful, similar to how they had in the car, but Conner matched his mentor's stare perfectly and was standing similar to how she was.

"Probably, but that doesn't mean we didn't do the right thing," he argued, stepping up to the plate. He knew that Kira and Ethan wouldn't really abandon him like they said they would in the car, but he wasn't about to let them take the fall with them. "We were already heading that way when Kira called and we could handle it. Besides, we called to let you know, didn't we?"

Tommy stepped up next to his fiancé, his own arms folded with the look that Conner even feared. The younger man was putting up all of the bravado that he could so that Tommy didn't see it, but he knew that Kira and Ethan were probably ready to back down at this point. It was loyalty that he'd earned as the red Ranger that kept them standing behind him. Tommy's gaze leveled on Conner, ignoring the other two completely. Conner was a red Ranger which Tommy had been so he knew that the entire plan had been the young man's idea. "More of us would still have been better. Suppose you would have gotten Kira or Ethan killed?"

Conner's look darkened. "Unlike most of you Reds, I actually have faith in my team to make it through it. They both did their jobs and Ethan's quick thinking helped us stay alive. And before you get even more on Ethan and Kira's cases, it was my idea to do it," he added. "I'm not letting them get in trouble because I made a choice."

Both Kira and Ethan tried to protest, insisting that they were just as involved, but Conner gave them both a quick look of reassurance as he pushed his promise. He wasn't going to let them get in trouble for it. Still, both tried to dampen the anger of their mentors. "We called," Kira offered. "That was Conner's idea."

"And he made sure that when we knew what it was we should call you," Ethan pushed. "And we didn't mean to upset you guys."

Tommy looked at them seriously. "Ethan, Kira, can you excuse us please. Kim and I need to have a chat with Conner."

The two other younger Rangers looked at their leader who just nodded. They both looked reluctant and Ethan looked at the other former Rangers. "We will if they will."

Kira nodded in agreement and soon the room was void of everyone but Tommy, Kim, and Conner. The youngest sighed, looking at his mentors. "We really don't have time for this. We need to start figuring things out."

"Billy will be starting to. Probably with Ethan's help," Tommy answered. "We won't be able to do much more tonight anyway. Which gives us time to talk about this."

"There was a job, we did it, the end," Conner answered and Kim shook her head.

"This isn't like you, Conner," she said softly. "Last year, you led but you weren't this hard-headed or distant. You were willing to listen to us. What happened?"

"Nothing," Conner answered. Kim sighed and let her arms down.

"Conner…"

"Fine!" The exclamation shocked both of them and they didn't interrupt. "Let's see… My head mentor got kidnapped because I wasn't paying attention as to whether she was there or not while I was fighting Trent. My best friend and I nearly got killed in the Zords before they were destroyed, which Ethan still hasn't gotten over by the way and then I nearly died again fighting Mesagog. My parents moved as far away as they could from here and in turn, me. And my mentors don't even think I'm able enough to go on a scouting trip which, by the way, if the roles were reversed you would have done it the exact same way. I might not have as many years as a Ranger under my belt, but goddamn it, I'm still a Ranger, I'm still a Red, and you need to let me grow up!"

They were both quiet at that, not quite knowing what to say. Fortunately for them, Conner wasn't done. "We're partners now. Junior partners maybe, but still. How am I supposed to trust myself when I've messed up so much if you won't?"

"You didn't mess up," Kim assured him. "You're just… a Red."

Conner made sure that neither of the other two Dino Thunder Rangers were anywhere near them before he sighed and looked tired. He kept up two masks: one of strength and one of his normal, happy self for them. When they weren't around, which wasn't often, he could drop them both. "Look, unless you can learn to let us do what needs to be done without needing to come with every time, we can't do this. I want to help. Hell, that was one of the reasons I stayed, but no self-respecting Red is going to take my advice if you question me constantly."

Both Tommy and Kim looked at each other quietly, trying to figure out a way to answer. Fortunately for them, they were interrupted by Ethan's "Holy Shit!"

"That's not good," Conner said as the three of them poured down to join Billy, Ethan, and Kira in the Lair. Conner looked over his friend's shoulder, masks back in place. "What's up, dude?"

"Okay, see the dots that are moving? Those have the same type of genetic blueprint as that thing we killed earlier," Ethan told him. "There's nine others."

"Are they headed for the city?" Kira asked and Ethan shook his head.

"Not yet, but they probably will be soon. What do you think, Conner?" Ethan asked, glancing at his friend. Conner looked pensive for a moment and then looked at his mentors.

"If it's alright, can we sleep in the Lair tonight? If those things start to go after people…" Conner started and Tommy nodded.

"It makes sense," he agreed. "Billy, Ethan, do you know if there are any others?"

"Not yet," Ethan answered. "But I wouldn't be surprised if more showed up. We're not even sure where these other nine came from. Honestly, there might only be nine or there might be hundreds."

"Considering that we were able to take down one without running, that doesn't sound great," Kira mentioned. Ethan shrugged.

"They didn't have an exoskeleton. But the extra legs will make them quicker," Ethan decided. "And they're probably pretty strong too."

"Billy, you and Ethan keep looking that information up. Take turns. I'll get a hold of Hayley to help you. Kim, call Elsa and Anton. They're going to need to know about this too," Tommy instructed and turned to Conner. "We'll come up with a better plan, but for now, can you guys handle them?"

Conner nodded. "Yeah. We can do it," he answered, glancing at Kira and Ethan who both looked in agreement. Tommy nodded and moved close to the younger man.

"You wanted a chance…" He whispered. Conner nodded and Tommy smiled at him. "Do us proud."

"Always try," Conner said with a shrug.

* * *

"Well, isn't this an easy answer? We give out the new Power," Elsa mentioned, drinking the water that Kim had gotten for them. Other than Billy and Hayley who trusted the others come up with it while they were figuring other things out, the adults were sitting around the living room discussing a game plan. The teens were on creature duty with the raptors in order to make sure that the city wasn't attacked, but had agreed to any plan that didn't discount them.

"It's not that easy," Kim answered. "The Power doesn't just make someone good and we're not sure if these are going to bond like the Dino gems did. If they get into the wrong hands…"

"Yeah, we don't need more evil Rangers, no offense, Tommy," Zack added and Tommy shrugged it off. "We actually have to be careful about this."

"Any ideas, Elsa?" Tommy asked, looking at the principal who shrugged.

"I don't know what to look for," she answered. "Though I can find out the background of any teen we think about."

"We'll wait for now," Tommy said, looking at Jason who nodded. While mentorship had been officially transferred, he still wanted to involved Jason and Trini as much as safely possible. "We don't know how much of a threat is out there. If it's just the ten, then we'll get rid of them and wait for the next big threat."

The others quickly agreed.

* * *

"How on Earth did they change direction that quick?" Kira asked as she pulled herself onto Yellow's back. Conner shrugged as he leapt on to Red and got ready, putting on the tailored cloak that had been made for him. Ethan did the same, already on Blue's back and handed the final, yellow cloak to Kira. Even without Ranger powers, they knew better than to let civilians see them riding the raptors and the cloaks had been created to hide them. Kim had her own red one and Tommy had been given a black one. Black, though riderless, still looked ready to go as he glanced at the door.

"They're spider-things," Ethan answered. "They probably sensed something."

Conner nodded and the back entrance opened, leading the way out of the lair. Hayley looked at them and pointed out the direction they needed to head. "We'll keep in contact with you the best we can. They're not like your old ones, but I figure that they might come in handy a bit. A staff for Conner, a shield for Ethan, and daggers for Kira. Good luck, guys."

Conner took the staff and smiled at Hayley. "Thanks, Hayley," he told her. "We'll be back soon."

Hayley and Billy looked at each and sighed. "You're sensing more, aren't you, Blue Boy?"

He chuckled at the joke and nodded. "Unfortunately. The others have as well. They will require assistance."

"That's our job," she answered and leaned into him a bit as he put his hands on her shoulders. "I just hope we can do it."

* * *

"How is it you manage to do this? You have to be the most inept human being when it comes to cars…" Seth rolled his eyes at his friend's insults. Jera glanced over at him and shook her head. "And then! Then you can't even do it when it's sunny out. No! You have to do it when it's dark and hard to see!"

Seth folded his arms and looked at her. "Does that mean you can't fix it?"

"Never said that. Just don't see why you can't ruin your car during the day. Or at least somewhere with lights!" Jera snapped. She messed with another couple of things and sighed. "Now, move the flashlight over here instead of crossing your arms. The light doesn't shine where I need it to when you do that."

"Sorry, Jera," Seth answered. "And I didn't want to call you. I just didn't see that rock…"

"Yeah, yeah," Jera answered and motioned for him to get in the car. "You better try it now. I had to sneak out the window again and if I'm not back by morning…"

"Like it would take you a full night. Just lie and say you were at my house," Seth answered with a shrug as he got into the car.

"My parents are starting to not like that answer. Something about you being a boy and I'm a girl and they don't want grandkids," she reminded him. He snorted and shook his head.

"Are you kidding? You? Seriously, Jer, you're more guy-like than I am," he answered. He reached over to try it again, waiting for it to start. After a few minutes of trying, Jera sighed and headed back to the engine.

"Doesn't take much," she joked as she configured a few more things. She felt Seth put his hand on her back and sighed. "Trying to work here."

"I thought I heard something," he answered. "You know what, Jera, forget the car. We'll take yours and come back for mine in the morning."

"You? Leave your car? You love your car," Jera said, looking over at him incredulously.

"Yeah. But I like the two of us alive more," he answered. Jera sighed.

"In my car, there's a tire iron. I keep the damned thing in case I get attacked by some guy. Go get it. Here's the keys," Jera answered calmly. "You can keep watch and I'll finish with your car."

"Yeah, okay," he answered, going to her car which was parked next to hers. "After last year, I think I have every right to be jumpy, you know. I mean, I still wanted to come here to write a poem I had an idea for, but I wasn't planning on the car dying."

"Again," she teased. "Besides, the Power Rangers got rid of everything from last year. There hasn't been an attack or a sighting of a Power Ranger since. There are no more… Monster!"

"Jera?" Seth rushed out of the car as his friend screamed holding the tire iron. He swung wildly at the shape, knocking it away from them and both teens turned to get into Jera's car only to see another on top of it. Jera batted at it with the flashlight, but in the midst, she saw more coming.

"Seth, I think we have a problem…" She whispered. "A lot of problems."

"I might not know much about cars, but I think that you're down a few tires," he hissed back.

"At least it still has an engine," she offered just as the creature slammed his hand down into the hood and another shoved the car awayy, causing it to roll. "You know, or not."

"Yeah, no saying 'at least' anymore. Because I really don't want to die," Seth told her. Jera just nodded. "Not that I'm guessing we have much of a choice of it."

There was a loud, new noise as something hit the car behind them and leapt over their heads, slamming into one of the creatures. A moment later, there were three more crashes above them as a faint sight of the raptors and their riders appeared. The leader rushed toward the unridden one, who had landed first, and both of the raptors, as well as the rider, rushed the creatures with a certain ease. The rider on the left directed their raptor toward the fight as well, taking off. The third started to, but their raptor stopped, sniffing the air. Jera and Seth's eyes widen as it headed their way.

"Blue, what are you doing? Come on, the others need us and… whoa boy. C… er… Rex! Ptera! We're got civilians!"

The leader hit one of the creatures, knocking it back before answering. "How many, Tri? And what the hell are they doing out here?!"

"Uh… Two! Hold on, I'll ask!" Tri answered and looked back at them. Due to night as well as the fact that the young man was cloaked, they couldn't make out any features. Still, by the name he was addressed by and the name of the raptor, both Seth and Jera could easily guess that they were face to face with the Blue Dino Thunder Ranger. "What are you two doing out here?"

"Writing. My car broke and, uh, Jera's got thrown," Seth answered. Tri groaned and turned back toward his companions.

"He was writing or something. Both of their cars are broken!" Tri answered. "So, they don't have a way back to town!"

"Well, our luck isn't much better!" A female voice answered. "They ran off before Rex and I could finish them off… sorry, before all of us finished them off. Didn't mean to offend you, Red. We got four of them."

"That's great, Ptera," Tri said, sounding worried. "But that means there are still five left and these guys are stranded."

Rex and Ptera joined them, followed by the lone raptor which was the only one still bouncing. The outline of Rex shrugged. "Then we'll take them back, drop them off, and head home."

"Uh… Rex? Secret identities, remember? Once we get back to city limits, they'll see who we are," Ptera reminded him. "We could call Brachio."

"Umm… Probably not a good plan. You know, because Brachio is _Brachio_," Tri reminded her. "What about Elsa? They'd know about her anyway because of the crazy principal thing we're never supposed to bring up again. It was on the news."

"That might actually work," Rex decided. He reached his hand up to his mouth and began to speak. "Elsa. Are you there, Elsa? Come on, answer. We've got a problem."

_"And you called me?"_ Both Jera and Seth looked at each other as they heard their principal's voice on the other end. Both Tri and Ptera visibly relaxed a bit, though Rex didn't.

"We ran out of choices. We need you to tell Brachio a few things, but he can't answer us directly. Okay?" Rex instructed. There was a moment of silence before she spoke again.

_"It's alright with me, but Brachio wants to know why,"_ Principal Randall answered.

"Okay. See, we came and we tore into them and we're all fine, including all four raptors, but Tri sort of figured out why they shifted. There are a couple of teenagers out here and, uh, one car is trashed and they said the other doesn't work. Problem is, we sort of only killed four of the things."

_"Sort of?"_ Principal Randall asked, sounding a little amused.

"Okay, we only killed four of them before the others took off. We could call for a tow truck and wait with them, but that's more people and more lights. So, I'm asking for help, okay?" Rex answered, sounding a little annoyed.

_"Okay. Calm down,"_ she answered soothingly. There was silence on the other line for a moment and Rex glanced over at Tri.

"Hey, the next time you get bored and want to create something, how about an ear-microphone thing?" He suggested teasingly. Tri shrugged.

"Might be too easy," Tri joked. Before Rex could answer, Principal Randall spoke back to them.

_"They said to bring him here. But, just so you know, Brachio and Dactyl are arguing about it again. I'm guessing you can guess who is on which side."_ The woman's voice was completely amused before turning a bit worried. _"Just… be careful on the way back. That's from all of us."_

"Will do, Elsa," Rex assured her. He looked at the two teens and sighed. "Guess we're taking you home with us. Black! You need to carry them back."

The raptor raced over to them and stopped, patiently waiting. Jera glanced at Rex. "He doesn't bite, does he?"

Ptera shook her head as she was the one to answer. "No. He's actually really playful. He might knock you over, but that it. Hey, Tri? I thought you had Blue under control. So, why didn't she listen to you?"

"I thought she was fine too, but I guess her protective instincts are still in place. Not much we can do about it," Tri answered as Jera and Seth climbed onto Black. Tri looked in their direction. "Alright. Now hold on."

"You guys sound kind of familiar," Seth said quietly. Rex shrugged.

"Probably. Alright, Red, let's go home." The way home was much quicker than by car due to both facts that the raptors could go faster than the speed limit and they didn't have problems with terrain. They didn't head back into town, but stayed on the outskirts, heading deeper into the forest. They headed a certain way as a rock face door opened for them, letting them in. The raptors didn't even bother slowing down. It was dark for a while until another door opened in preparation, leading them into a well-lit base of operations. Both Seth and Jera stared in wonder at the whole thing.

"Where the hell?" Seth asked as Black stopped, urging them to get off. He blinked a couple of times as his eyes adjusted. Finally, they opened wide as he saw who was sitting at the computer desk. "Hayley?"

"They told me we were going to have company," she answered sardonically and turned to the other three. "Are you guys okay?"

"Seriously, Hayley, we're fine," Tri answered, taking off his blue cloak. "We had it handled."

"He's right," Ptera agreed as she dismounted and took off her yellow cloak, tossing it on top of Tri's. "We just couldn't chase them down."

"Though the weapons you made for us were badass, Hayley," Rex finished, setting his red cloak on top of the others. Seth couldn't help himself.

"Wait! I know you! You're Conner McKnight!" He blurted out. Conner turned and looked at him, seemingly having forgotten that they had guests. "You're the red Ranger?!"

"Well, actually…" Conner started, but he was cut off by Jera.

"Ethan? You're the blue Ranger?" She asked. "No wonder you kept ditching computer club."

"Yeah, sorry about that," he answered, a bit embarrassed. "Shut up, Conner."

"Didn't say a word," he answered with a laugh. Both of them turned and looked at Kira, answering together.

"Kira Ford," they both said. She blushed a bit at that.

"Came to the concerts, huh?" She asked and they both nodded. "Well, I think we're outed."

"Not all of us. Like hell if I'm going to be outed and 'Brachio' isn't," Conner said and paused for a minute as he looked around for his mentors. "Where are they anyway?"

Hayley shrugged. "Upstairs. Last I checked, Elsa and Mercer were trying to get them to calm down. And… here they come. Well, she comes."

"He's stubborn! Arrogant! Pig-headed! Thinks he knows best… Did I say stubborn yet?" A female voice called out as someone headed down the stairs. There was a slight chuckle following it from her companion.

"So, which of those reasons is why you accepted his proposal?" Her companion asked.

"Mercer," she chided, folding her arms. He mimicked her.

"Kimberly," he answered and motioned to the newcomers. "I believe you have some guests."

She turned and looked, becoming her old color of pink as she did so. She immediately dropped her stance and raced over to the other three, looking them over. After being reassured several times that they were fine, she turned to Jera and Seth. "And you two. Are you alright?"

"Well," Jera asked. "We've been attacked by monster, saved by Power Rangers, met said Power Rangers, went back to the Power Rangers base, our cars are trashed, and we have no idea what's going to happen next. I don't know about Seth, but I'm terrified."

"I think she meant physically," Seth teased. "And, uh, we're fine."

"Of course you are. I'm sure that seeing the raptors didn't help either," she told them gently. "Please, sit down. You three as well. We found some more information while you were out."

"Good information, right, Kim?" Conner asked. "Like, there's only ten total?"

Kim gave him a sad smile and shook her head. "Afraid not, Conner."

"Shouldn't we wait?" Kira asked. "We're all not down here."

"Your other mentor is being stubborn right now," she answered. "The others should get him down shortly. Besides, this is important. Now, while you were out, Hayley was able to break through the black box to find out what's going on. The aliens in the ship you guys found were Aerislians. They were on their way here to let us know about these creatures and that they were on their way here. Hayley, would you mind taking over?"

"Right. So, here we see the spider thing that you guys fought. You were right, Conner. The aliens were eaten, but you were also right that they're not smart. They're definitely bred and being used for some purpose. We'd love to think the three of you could handle it, but…" Hayley started, showing them the holographic diagram of the creature. Ethan shrugged.

"But we can't morph," he answered. At Jera and Seth's panicked looks, he offered them a sympathetic look. "We used it up to kill Mesagog. The last big bad."

Conner stood up, folded his arms, and looked at Hayley and Kim. "So, we're going to have to use it. That's why you wanted us to bring them and why he's throwing a fit," he said. At Kim's surprised look, Conner shrugged. "Three kids in detention probably wasn't his first choice."

Mercer shrugged. "From where I'm sitting, you all got the job done. You constantly frustrated us."

Kira smiled. "Thank you, Dr. Mercer."

"But there's only two of them. We're going by the power of two?" Conner asked incredulously. Kim shook her head.

"No. We just haven't found the other two yet," she explained. "We quite frankly don't even know if we have two."

"Whoa! What's going on?" Seth demanded and Jera was right behind him.

"Yeah! What the hell are you going on about?" She added. Kim quickly took back over.

"Alright. One year ago, a creature called Mesagog tried to take over Reefside. These three, during their detention, found their way down here and each grabbed a gem. Conner grabbed the red one and was granted super speed with the power of the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Ethan grabbed the blue one and was granted harder skin which made his attacks stronger with the force of the Triceratops. Kira was granted her Ptera scream, to the dismay of her teammates, as well as the power of the Pterodactyl. Together, my fiancé and I trained them, prepared them, and guided them until we were taken by Mesagog. Then, Hayley along with a couple of our friends took over until we were brought back safely. I remained normal, but he found the black gem. He joined them on the field, they found the white Ranger, save him, changed the evil Elsa back into good Principal Randall, split Dr. Mercer from his Mesagog self and, to make a very long story short, saved the world.

"Unfortunately, that drained the gems of their power. Their gifts: speed, shielding, and the scream as well as my fiancé's invisibility and the white Ranger's camouflage were saved and integrated into the body. However, that means that they cannot bond with any more Powers. If they would have been a Ranger before, they would have been able to use that Power still if it were there, but nothing new. So, here's the part that involves the two of you. We need you two to take on the role of the new Rangers. Well, two of them anyway. It's not something that I can force, but we'd appreciate it."

"So, we're convenient," Jera said, crossing her arms. Hayley shrugged.

"Yeah, so? The last three were chosen by the gems, but technically, part of it was being in the right place at the right time. The greatest Ranger ever…"

"Hayley, stop that. You know that he only uses that against the rest of us. And we were Rangers first," Kim muttered.

"Sorry, Kim. One of the greatest Rangers ever was chosen because he could fight and he was convenient. And let's not lie to ourselves, Kim. Most of the replacement Rangers were convenient too," Hayley said, crossing her arms. The trio glanced over at Kim to see how she would react, but she just laughed and nodded.

"True enough," she agreed and turned back to the two students. "Though, like you, they proved themselves to us. Considering you were attacked, you're not babbling. You're listening, asking questions… Like I said, you don't have to do anything, but I would really like you to stay. Hayley, back me up here, please."

Ethan looked at his old mentor and grinned as he decided to give Kim some much needed help. "She was fixing a car…"

"Please, stay. You're wanted," she said quickly as all three former Dino Thunder Rangers looked sheepish.

"We broke things. A lot," Conner admitted. "Look, it's a lot to take in, but I never would have talked to Ethan and Kira, let alone become best friends with them and Kira and I wouldn't have started dating if we hadn't been chosen. I'd be down a roommate. It's not easy and training is a real pain, but Kim wouldn't have suggested it if she didn't have a gut feeling about you guys and I trust her feelings."

"Besides," Ethan continued. "The raptors seem to like you too. Blue even stopped for you."

They were interrupted by the sound of people coming down the stairs. The first one down was an African American man who seemed overly pleased with himself as he came down the stairs. He headed over to Kim, playfully attacking his shoulders and didn't mind the slight shove she gave as she laughed. He grinned. "You'll be happy to know that I, well we, managed to convince him to come down."

"So, how did you do it, Zack? Neen's at Trini and Jason's, so you couldn't do that…" she said, looking a little confused.

"Kim, Kim, Kim. You know me better than that. Besides, we just got into trouble for using a kid to get out of something. We would never do it again for at least a week. We're not that stupid. This time we used a pregnant woman," Zack said happily as Kim sighed. Leave it to her friends to choose someone that Tommy couldn't fight. "Jason was and I quote 'sick of letting him throw a fit like they were still children when he could be meeting his future students!' It was great. Jason went into this speech on loyalty, courage, integrity and responsibility. He went into how great he did with the last three and how these two were dealing and coming here. He reminded him of promises and how desperately Jason had wanted to do it himself. Knowing none of that was going to work, he called Trini."

"Well it worked, didn't it?" Another man with dark hair answered as he headed down the stairs next to a man with sandy brown hair. They both glanced back up toward the doorway, the man with the dark hair folding his arms while the other was sighing and shaking his head. "Don't make me drag you!"

The recipient looked less that pleased, but came down anyway, his arms folded. They both looked more than a little surprised.

"Doctor Oliver?" Jera asked. Seth blinked a few times to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him. "You're one of the greatest Rangers ever?"

"I'm down to one of?" He asked dryly and Hayley shrugged.

"Guess so. Your fiancé and best friends seem to think that they were pretty great too," she answered. "Now, with a little luck, these are our new Rangers."

"Jera Law and Seth Turner. They're in my science class," Doctor Oliver told the others. The final member of the household came down and shrugged at her colleague.

"They show up to class and weren't in detention. Their records are fine. What more do you want?" Principal Randall asked sardonically. They began to all talk at once, giving different opinions about different things. The room was interrupted when Conner finally whistled.

"Hey! They're freaked out and the lot of you arguing and confusing them isn't helping!" He snapped and turned to Jera and Seth. "We don't have a lot of time. Ethan, Kira, and I can keep fighting, but eventually, they're going to out maneuver us and probably kill us because we're not active Rangers anymore. We're not going anywhere. We'll be here to help and I know it doesn't seem like it now, but Kim and Doctor O are great mentors. They fight a lot, but it's a good thing. Sort of. It means that they're figuring things out. Hayley, Billy, and Jason are great mentors too. And Zack is just awesome. Can you at least try?"

Jera and Seth looked at each other for a moment, not sure as to what to answer with. On one side, they were tired, completely lost, and trying not to freak out over the whole matter while on the other hand, they were being asked to save the world not just from anyone, but from the red Ranger of Reefside himself. They glanced at Ethan and Kira who were both giving them the same look as their leader and Seth sighed. "I'll do it. Besides, if it doesn't accept me, I'll just go home."

Jera looked a little more skeptical. "What if it doesn't work? We still know. How can you trust us?"

Doctor O stared right at her. "Don't worry about that right now. Are you willing to try?"

Jera looked at Seth who shrugged and she sighed as well. "Yeah, I'll try."

Billy walked over to them and pulled out the cloth leaving the four orbs on the table as they glowed. Then he stood back and motioned for the others to follow his lead. Seth and Jera walked over to the table and looked at each other. Seth leaned into Jera and whispered. "Alright, how do we do this?"

Jera tried to look confident. "Well, we just reach out and grab one. When we don't feel anything, we go home and try to forget it ever happened."

"Jera? I kind of want it to happen," Seth informed her and she gave him a quick smile.

"Yeah, but no sense in getting your hopes up. On the count of three. One, two, three!" She called out and both of them closed their eyes and reached for one of the orbs. To everyone else's minor surprise, the orbs moved around quickly before they grabbed one so that they both grabbed a specific color. Jera felt refreshed as if she'd taken a shower. It was relaxing and for the first time that night, she didn't feel stressed. Seth felt warm, like lying in front of the fireplace with a good book. While not as relaxed as Jera, he felt energized and smiled a bit. He glanced over at Jera and she grinned. "Wow."

"Yeah," he answered. "Uh, are we supposed to feel weird?"

Kim grinned and looked at Billy. "I think it worked!" She squealed and the man nodded.

"Affirmative, Kim. Kalderon and Aquitar have chosen their Rangers," he answered and Zack gently nudged him.

"Okay, Zordon," he teased. Jason gently touched both of their shoulders before it turned into a full-out verbal argument. He reached over and picked up two of the color-coded morphers and handed it to them.

"These are your morphers. Kim and Tommy will teach you how to use them and how to fight. These are your only line of defense against monsters. Without them, you cannot morph. If the orb is not in them, you cannot morph. Do not take them off," he instructed and looked at the others. "Billy, Zack, we should get back. Trini's going to start worrying soon."

"One moment, Jason," Billy said quickly and turned to Seth and Jera. "I do not wish to alarm you, but these orbs were given in trust by Aquitar and Kalderon. They are not to be abused. Kalderon was extremely reluctant to gift us with some of their power and I would like favorable relations with them for Earth. Aquitar was far less reluctant, yet it is important to myself that their orb be respected. I trust that you will comply."

The three left and Kim looked at the two teens. "We should get you home. We'll explain more tomorrow."

* * *

"Is there a reason Conner, Kira, and Ethan are camping out on my living room floor?" Tommy asked, stepping over Conner and being careful not to step on Kira who was next to him. Ethan was on the other side. Anton chuckled at the question and looked up at Kim and Tommy.

"Elsa and I felt it was important to stay until you returned in case you needed our help further and they insisted on staying. I'm not about to throw teenagers out of your house. I'd leave that to you," he answered. "We found the blankets in the closet."

Kim rested her hand on Tommy's arm. "They've had a rough day."

"Which is why they should be at home, in their beds, instead of roughing it on the floor," Tommy answered, folding his arms. His expression weakened at the sight, however. "Still, no sense in waking them up. I'm not sure what to do about this whole mess."

"We have two Rangers," Elsa mentioned and blushed a bit. "I mean, you have two Rangers."

Tommy smiled at her and shook his head. "We. We've appreciated both of your help since everything ended."

"It's the least we could do. I fear there is nothing else we can accomplish tonight. Kimberly, may I speak with you for a moment?" He asked and she nodded politely. The two exited the room leaving their significant others behind, a little confused. They sat down and Kim's happy demeanor dropped. Her companion sighed and nodded. "I thought that you were acting."

"No one else can tell," she answered. "How have you been, Mercer?"

He rested a hand on her shoulder and sighed. "As well as you, I fear. The nightmares have continued and there are times I don't know when the dream ends and reality begins. Still, I think we have a larger problem."

"Conner."

He looked at her in surprise as she said the name, but nodded. "Yes, how did you know?"

"He hasn't handled it well. Kira is able to talk about her feelings to everyone and Ethan shares with at least the other two or Hayley, but Conner hasn't been. He's moody and he got angry at us earlier. Part of it was our fault, but not all of it," she answered.

"He's been having nightmares as well," Mercer mentioned. "While you were out, he started screaming in his sleep. Both of the other two moved in closer, but he's not well. Perhaps we should invite him to one of our sessions."

Kim nodded and smiled softly at that. "I can't believe I let you talk me into that."

"I can't believe you wanted to call it 'Dino Survivors Anonymous' nor can I believe that you hadn't thought you needed it," he gently chided, causing her to turn red a bit. "Better we all deal with it now than before it gets worse. I take it you still haven't told Tommy?"

"He already feels so guilty about everything. They all do. It's why I didn't want to tell Conner about it before I thought he needed it. I don't want him to feel worse," she answered. "But it's worse than I thought and I don't want him to end up hardened."

"We'll let him know then," Mercer assured her. "We can only hope he'll take it."

"He will," Kim said confidently, feeling a little better. "We should get back. We'll all have a long day tomorrow."

"Agreed."

* * *

**Author's Notes: **So, here's the second chapter. I'm glad the first chapter was so well received.

I'm not thinking I'll have much trouble getting the chapters out to you guys every week. I haven't so far, so we can hope I'll continue with that. If I can't and you're wondering what's going on, check out my Author's Bio and I'll do my best to make sure that the explanation is there.

I can't really think of any other Author's Notes at this time. If you have any questions, just put them in your reviews or PM me. I'll get back to you on them.

Thanks for all the reviews for both the first chapter and for the one-shot. I appreciate them all.


	3. Recruits

**Chapter 3: Recruits**

Conner groaned. "I'm not going. You can't make me," he muttered, rolling away from his persistent former teacher. The three had managed to spend the night on the floor, nearly a pile by morning from moving closer to each other during the night. Conner couldn't say that he was shocked about that since Kira nearly suffocated him in her sleep when they were together and Ethan had become subconsciously protective over his two friends since the final fight. Still, it wasn't exactly a comfortable way to sleep and he was still tired from it. To make matters worse, Tommy was standing over him, rolling his eyes with his arms crossed at the younger man.

"Well, you can't stay on my floor," he answered. "And you have class."

"You don't know that!" Conner disagreed. Ethan and Kira had covered their ears and rolled over since neither of them had a morning class that day. Tommy folded his arms.

"Yes, I do. Remember? We made you give us your schedules so we wouldn't have to call you out of class often," he answered. "Now get up and go to class. And you two. Go home."

"Comfy," Kira whimpered as he shook her. Ethan pulled away from Tommy's touch.

"Am home," he muttered. Tommy rolled his eyes and threw up his hands.

"Kim! Will you help me with them?" Tommy groaned toward his fiancé who just laughed.

"Conner, Ethan, Kira, breakfast," she said calmly. All three teens rushed toward the kitchen, nearly running their mentor and former teammate over. Kim smiled softly and then shrugged toward Tommy. "They're teenagers."

"I guess," Tommy muttered and sighed. "And we're getting four more of them."

"Yes we are," Kim said proudly. "We already have two. Do you have an idea for the other two?"

"Not quite and we're going to have the other two over here tonight. Elsa promised that she'd be on the lookout for anything that seemed like they might work too. It's a lot easier to work with the principal for the greater good than against her," he answered. "And we've made sure that the older three know that we still want them, right?"

"Well, we told them, but you've been grumpy lately. At least you were grumpy with the new kids too," Kim scolded. She turned toward the teens and put her hands on her hips at the sight. "Conner! Ethan! Stop that! You'll choke!"

"See? I told you," Kira told her companions as they scarfed their food down quickly. They ignored the advise and Kira shrugged at Kim. "At least they're not racing this time."

"Rac… Ethan! Conner!" Kim exclaimed again. Tommy sighed and walked over to them, waiting until they swallowed before hitting them upside the head.

"Listen to Kim," he lightly growled. "You're adults now and if you didn't wake up early enough to make it to class on time without choking, it's your own damned fault."

They both made noises that sounded like affirmative answers before going back to eating. Kim glanced over at Ethan a little confused. "You don't even _have_ class this early."

"Nope. But Conner is the only one of us who has a car," Ethan answered. "And I want a ride back to college," he answered. Kim shrugged and nodded at the answer, though she was still rolling her eyes at the boys' antics. Kira seemed perfectly fine with the whole thing which told her that she was used to her best friend's and boyfriend's way of doing things. They finished, Kira reminding them to put the dishes in the sink, and they raced out toward the door.

"Thanks for breakfast, Kim!" Conner exclaimed, giving his mentor a quick hug as he raced out the door.

"We'll see you after school!" Ethan promised as he took the book she handed out to him and followed the other.

"Thanks for putting us up for the night," finished Kira as she followed the other two. "Have a good day! And don't worry! We'll be back before he brings the new kids home!"

Kim sighed as she heard the car turn on and them race off. As much as she wanted to throw her hands in the air and yell "teenagers" at the top of her lungs, part of her was pleased by the way the morning had gone. There was a sense of normalcy there, even with the city under attack and all of them going through the issues brought from the previous year. She kissed Tommy as he calmly headed toward the door after them before locking the door and heading down into the lab, taking her turn at watching for attacks.

* * *

"Look, we have to get out there and get our cars fixed. Or at least yours fixed," Jera muttered as she walked. "I think mine is thoroughly trashed."

"That's assuming those things didn't tear what was left of the cars to pieces. Face it, Jera, you're good, but you're not that good," he answered, shifting his backpack to the other side as they walked. His companion snorted and folded her arms.

"Shows what you know," she answered and lowered her voice. "Did you, uh, have any problems last night? Once you got home?"

"Like what?" He asked and she sighed.

"Like last night I wanted a glass of water but I didn't want to get up to get one. I was just too tired. When I woke up this morning, the bathroom was flooded," she answered. "My parents figured that one of my family members was sleepwalking. Maybe I'm just paranoid."

"Maybe," Seth answered. "Doesn't mean you're not right though. I mean, we were saved from spider creatures by robotic dinosaurs. I think 'unbelievable' is gone. And look, it's your buddy from yesterday."

"Law, what the hell did you do to my car?!" Jera groaned as she looked up to see Henry, the boy from yesterday glaring at her. She shrugged.

"I fixed it. You took it to the mechanic, right? Like I told you too?" She asked, her arms still folded with a new look of annoyance on her face.

"It was your job to fix it!" He snapped. "What good are you if you can't even fix my car?"

Seth pulled Jera behind him and looked at Henry. "Back off." Jera winced a bit. Seth usually tried to stay away from the bullies since he knew that they were usually in better shape than him, but when one of them pushed him too far, he often did something like this and walked away with a black eye and shattered pride.

"Seth, calm down," Jera gently instructed, having gone through this before with him. "It's not worth getting upset over. And Henry? Beat it, huh?"

"If Turner wants to play, then we'll play," Henry answered, moving closer. Jera moved from behind Seth and got in the middle.

"Alright, guys, check your testosterone at the door," she snapped. She wasn't sure how it happened, but she found herself on the ground shortly after. It took her mind a minute to remember that Henry had shoved her out of the way. She glanced at Seth and saw that he was livid. Normally, she would have probably thrown her hands in the air by this point and walked off to leave them to their masculine posturing, but she watched as his hands turned redder and redder. She quickly got up and pulled on his arm. "I'm fine, Seth. Come on. We'll be late to class."

"Jer…" He hissed, but she'd have none of it and dragged him behind one of the classrooms.

"Seth, your hands," she whispered as he looked down and his eyes widened. As his anger fled, his hands returned to normal and he looked at Jera.

"This is going to be a long day, isn't it?" He asked and she nodded.

"Look at the bright side. When it's over, we'll be able to drive Doctor Oliver nuts with questions about what the hell he did to us. Maybe we can even throw in some unconvincing threats," she answered. Seth could only nod.

* * *

"Wow! This one looks great, Ben! Can I have it? Huh? Can I? Please?" The young botanist laughed a bit at her pleading face as she pointed at a plant he'd been working on where the flower had finally bloomed. He was thrilled to see that the cross pollination had worked and he understood her excitement. It was a very lovely flower.

"After I'm done with it, Tara," he answered. "I still need to take down some notes and stuff on it. Time?"

"We've got a little while longer, but you might want to start to clean up. So, can you do anything for Principal Randall's fern?" She asked. Ben nodded.

"Yeah. I'm going to have to hold on to it for a bit, but I think I can keep it alive," he answered, concentrating on one of the other plants. He'd asked Tara to join him so that he wasn't late for class, or rather didn't make it to class, again. She'd easily agreed and had brought Principal Randall's fern with her asking if he could save it. While Randall was trying to move away from the image she had had the year before, she couldn't keep plants alive to save her life.

"Oh good! She'll be so happy about that. She looked really upset when I asked her about it," Tara answered. Ben stopped what he was doing and shook his head as he looked at her.

"I think you're the only student in this school who doesn't run the other way when they see her, you know," Ben informed her. She shrugged.

"She can't help what her doppelganger did, Ben. And she's been trying to make up for it. Besides, if she's trying, then what's the point in being mean?" She asked. "Do unto others!"

"And if she starts acting like she did last year?" He asked.

"Then I'll run the other way and if she attacks, then I'll fight back long enough to get away," Tara answered as if she was reading off a script. He had made her repeat it several times so that she didn't get it in her head to try to save whatever was good in the principal at the cost of her own life. "In case you've forgotten, I'm the one who can fight. I know various martial arts."

"I know," he said affectionately. "I was there when you told your parents you wanted to learn Aikido. I think it's time for us to get going."

"Okay! Hey Ben? Thanks for helping me with the homework," she added as they headed off to class. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and nodded.

"You're welcome, Tara," he answered.

* * *

Tommy relaxed as the class left, for once dealing with the entire lot of them with no one missing. He loved teaching and he didn't want to do anything else, but with everything else that was going on in his life, he was starting to get tired from everything that went with it. He rested his head against his clasped hands and slowly breathed in and out to try to work through the bounding stress he felt. He knew he'd feel better once the other two were chosen and they'd begun training, but for now, he was just tired.

"Did they give you that much trouble?" Tommy glanced up and offered a small smile to Elsa as she walked in, shutting the door behind her. She was holding two files in her hands and he couldn't help but to feel a bit curious. She set them down and looked at him with a smile of her own before ignoring her own question. "I think I may have found us an answer."

"Two more?" He asked and at her nod, his small smile widened. "Elsa! How?"

"Considering that Mirinoi and Aeris are the only two left, I figured that these two students might work. And since you already have a slight rapport with them, I figured that they might work. And Tommy, please don't be too picky," Elsa requested.

"He has a hard time making it to class," Tommy mentioned as he opened up the two files. Elsa rolled her eyes and shook her head, though there was a slight smile.

"Like that. Conner missed your class on purpose, as I recall, and we're not even asking this one to lead a team," Elsa reminded him. Tommy nodded and sighed.

"Alright. Why these two?" He asked.

"Well, Ben might be a little distracted at times, but he's brilliant with plants. Anton was telling me that he's supposed to check out his work for a possible internship. Unlike Seth and Jera, he's not exactly confrontational and he's willing to step back and look at a problem," she told him. Tommy nodded, but looked worried.

"He's also shy and doesn't like confrontations. Not exactly helpful in a Ranger," he reminded her.

"None of them are going to be perfect coming in, Tommy. You know that. I've watched the footage you have on the Ninja Storm Rangers and they weren't exactly the top of their class," she reminded him. "I just think that someone who stands back to think about the problem might help them out at times."

Tommy sighed and nodded. He knew she was right, he knew that Kim would agree with her, and he knew the others would be fine with it. Not for the first time, he wondered if maybe he was too picky or if he was looking for a younger Jason, Trini, Billy, and him. He turned his attention back to the situation and looked at the other. "You're kidding."

"Funny, I thought you'd say that," she answered. "Let me guess, you worried about how long she'll be able to concentrate on it?"

Tommy looked a little surprised. "Uh, yeah."

"Don't. Her grades and scores are impressive and she's skilled in various forms of martial arts," she answered. He looked at her a little confused. "I asked Hayley to do some research for me. It didn't take her long."

"They'll work," he finally decided. "Now I've just got to figure out how to convince them. And Elsa?"

"Next week. You're not getting off detention duty all year," Elsa said. "But I already talked to Terry and he's willing to switch weeks."

"Thanks," he told her gratefully. "I know where to find Ben, but what about Tara?"

"She'll be with him. She took my fern to him earlier to see if he could fix it before showing back up in your class. They headed back out while I was on my way here," she said.

"Thanks again," he told her honestly. She smiled.

"Don't forget to thank Hayley as well. The information and display was all her. Just… don't interrupt," she said and Tommy nodded. He'd call her if it was necessary, but he didn't want to interrupt otherwise. After months of stepping around it, she'd finally managed to ask Billy out and none of them wanted to ruin it for their friends. They would be there for the meeting after school, but then they were going.

"I won't," Tommy promised. "After all, it's usually my basement when they fight and I don't want to deal with them for another three days if Billy were to blame her for letting me ruing their evening."

* * *

"So, we're helping how?" Ethan asked as he hung on for dear life. "And how did your girlfriend get out of going on Mr. Conner's Wild Ride?"

"I'm not that bad. Stop whining. We're picking up Jera and Seth because their cars are totaled and Kira didn't come because she's on the recruitment team. We're hoping the last two have seen her or have gone to see her recently so that when she and Doctor O talk to them, they'll listen. Hold on."

"You're just as bad as Doctor O… he's been teaching you again!" Ethan blurted out and Conner grinned.

"Yeah," he answered. "Comes in handy."

Ethan shook his head. "Hey Conner? You okay? You haven't been yourself lately."

"I'm fine, Ethan," Conner said, his smile fading. "I've just been stressed."

"Well, I'm here if you need me but maybe you should talk to someone, you know? I don't want to be the Jason to your Doctor O," Ethan said after a minute. Conner nearly slowed down, but he managed to keep himself going.

"You really feel that close to me?" He asked and he saw Ethan nod. "Fine. I'll… I'll find someone to talk about it with later, okay?"

"Yeah," Ethan said, calming down before he completely panicked and grabbed the dashboard. "Stop sign, Conner! Stop sign!"

"Chill! I see it!" Conner answered. He quickly stopped at the sign and waited only a minute before tearing down the road again. He'd mentioned the lack of police involvement when it came to speeding or driving wildly that the Rangers seemed to have to Tommy, adding that it might have been a second part of their powers. Tommy had laughed and assured him that while the regular police might not, there were still the Silver Guardians and they weren't affected by any sort of powers thanks to their commanders. He cited the incident between Taylor Earhardt and Eric Myers as an example. Still, cosmic justice did seem to lean away from ticketing Rangers.

"Left up here," Ethan told him. "There they are!"

"I don't think they were expecting us," Conner mentioned as the two look confused and then annoyed.

"Gee, Sherlock, what was your first clue?" Ethan quipped. Conner pulled over and shot him a look as the two younger teenagers came toward the car.

"What the hell did your boss do to us?" Jera snapped as she reached the window. Seth was right behind her looking just as unpleased by the incident. Conner rolled his eyes.

"First, Doctor O isn't our boss. At most, he's our mentor. Just like Kim. Second, he's your mentor now too and so are we. Third, we were nice enough to stop by to give you a lift and your bagging on us, so shut up and get in the car before I ask Ethan here to give you a small taste of his gift," he hissed. Ethan turned and looked at him incredulously.

"Conner, I'm pretty sure Doctor O and Kim don't want you beating up the new Rangers," he reprimanded. Conner shrugged and motioned for his friend to let them in. Ethan sighed. "You two are in the back."

* * *

"So, how do we do this? Because I remember your pep-talk to us and it made us want to run out the door," Kira mentioned as she followed him to the greenhouse. Tommy had met Kira outside shortly after his talk with Elsa to head over and try to convince the other two that they needed to be Rangers.

"Kira…" Tommy reprimanded gently, but at her shrug, he dropped it and sighed. "I'm not sure."

"Alright. Try to avoid mentioning death and destruction. It's not a selling point. Mention how it changes your life in a good way, that'll help. Umm… best people for the job instead of 'we're desperate' might be good," Kira said, trying to remember what she would have liked to hear. Tommy sighed, but smiled at her, patting her shoulder. "So, why isn't Elsa helping?"

"It's not her job. Both Hayley and she went out of their way to help us on this, but neither of them should have to do anything. Elsa is helping because of last year and Hayley… I'm not sure why she helps other than friendship and loyalty," Tommy answered. "Though, I think your little surprise helped."

"Just trying to help her feel appreciated," Kira said happily. "There it is."

The two of them looked at each other and nodded as they head in. They could already hear Tara talking a mile a minute and an occasion affirmative answer from Ben. Both teens were looking over a plant that was starting to bud new flowers. "So, the flowers are poisonous?"

"No, Tara, they're similar to a Venus Flytrap. They're pretty and they have a smell that we can't smell, but insects can. Still, I wouldn't touch them," he answered and she looked confused.

"How did you manage to make it?" She asked and he shrugged.

"I didn't," he answered. "Here, why don't you check on the lilies? I know you like them."

"Okay!" She answered, heading off a little bit. Kira looked at her mentor who shrugged. Both of them shook their heads, but headed over anyway.

"Tara, Ben, can I talk to you for a minute?" Tommy asked and both of them looked up and over at him.

"I made it to class!" Ben said quickly, looking a little pale. Tara looked proud of herself.

"And I wasn't late," she added. Tommy shook his head and looked at Kira who gave him a look that acknowledged they were the only ones there. Tommy sighed and took a deep breath.

"It's not about that. Tara, Ben, this is Kira Ford. Kira, meet Benjamin Striker and Tara Snow," Tommy introduced them. Tara's eyes lit up.

"I watch you every Friday!" She exclaimed. "You're really good!"

"Thanks," Kira answered with a smile before looking about as serious as her teacher. Tommy noticed it and nearly laughed as he realized that she was extremely similar to him. "We have something we need to talk to you about."

Ben looked a little suspicious, but his companion looked interested. Tommy took it as a sign to continue on both ends. He held up the holographic generator that Billy had made him using the 'memories' of the raptors. He pressed the button and the spider-creature from before appeared. The two younger teenagers looked at it and then back up at him. "Last year, a creature named Mesagog attacked the city, destroyed buildings, and killed those who couldn't get out of the way quickly enough. He was defeated thanks to the Dino Thunder Power Rangers who risked everything to stop him. A couple of days ago, these were released upon the Earth. They killed everyone on the ship that carried them and were unleashed not to far away from here."

"The Power Rangers will handle it again. It's what they do," Ben answered with a shrug. Kira shook her head.

"They can't. They'd love to, but can't. See, during that last battle against Mesagog, their Zords were destroyed and they lost the Power. So, while they can still do some cool things, they can't take this on and they can't take on new powers," Kira continued.

Ben looked between the two and shook his head. "How do you know this?"

"They were the Rangers," Tara answered helpfully. All three of the others looked over at her in surprise. "What?"

"How?" Tommy asked, not sure if he could get anything else out.

"My sister was in your class. She said that you, Kira, and two other boys stayed after class every time there was a crisis, you started to do more with the three of them, and they started to become friends. She didn't think about it, but I did. Besides, you're color-coded. Am I going to be color-coded too?" she answered helpfully. Ben just blinked. She looked a little more annoyed when they still just stared. "What?!"

"Is she right?" Ben asked and both of the other two shrugged and nodded. "So, you want us to be Power Rangers."

"We'd appreciate it," Kira answered. Ben shook his head and backed up.

"I think you have the wrong guy. I'm, uh, not good at fighting or talking to people or being around people or even keeping track of time," he said, stopping once he hit the table behind him. Kira smiled softly.

"I know how you feel," she answered. "When I first got my powers, I couldn't figure out why they wanted me at all. Or why I was chosen, but being a Ranger was a great time in my life and we're really hoping you'll do this for us."

She pulled out the orbs and looked at Ben and Tara. Tara didn't hesitate as she picked up the yellow orb, giggling as it bonded to her. It almost tickled and she felt energetic and bouncy. Ben looked at Kira and then over at Tara. "Someone's got to keep on eye on her, right? I'm not going to have to lead or anything like that, right?"

"The last one is green. Red leads," Kira assured him. "And you don't have a Red personality. Trust me. I'm dating one."

Ben nodded, took a breath and reached for it. He felt the bond as it grounded him and intensified his connection to the earth. It was definitely comforting. Mirinoi and Aeris had both accepted their carriers. Kira grinned. "Come on, the others are waiting back at the Lair."

"The Lair?" Ben asked and Kira laughed.

"You'll see."

* * *

"So, what's going on?" Jera demanded. Seth's arms were folded and, while he was letting his friend do the talking at the moment, it was clear that he was just as unhappy as she was. Conner, not really in the mood to deal with them, was pointedly ignoring the duo while Ethan had been trying to calm them down.

"Look, the orbs must have started working so superhero stuff for you. It's cool. Trust me. I got hard skin and strength from it and Conner over there got super speed," Ethan answered. Jera gave him a look.

"Did you ever almost fry someone or flood a bathroom?" She asked and he shook his head. "You've got nothing."

"At least none of your teammates should end up with anything close to a Pterascream. I hated her Pterascream," Ethan informed them. "It might have thrown those bastards we were fighting back, but I thought I was going to end up deaf by the end of it. Especially in the warehouse with the bomb. That sucked."

Conner shot him a look. "You guys pole-vaulted out of that," he reminded him. "I got buried alive down here."

Ethan shrugged. "You lived through it. Kira made out with you. We got to meet other Rangers. And Kim cut off Trent's ear."

"True," Conner agreed, though he still looked unhappy. Seth raised his hand.

"Uh… Trent?" He asked.

"White Ranger. He was evil for a while, if you remember, but he was good at the end, so I guess he was a teammate. He tried to kill Kim and she sliced off part of his ear," Ethan answered as Conner nodded and looked a bit proud. Ethan winced as a hand hit his shoulder, though not too roughly and Kim gave him a look having entered in the middle of his story.

"That's enough of that, Ethan," she said calmly. She glanced over at Conner. "You too. I believe my fiancé wanted you to keep them calm, not run them out the door."

Conner folded his arms, but nodded once as Ethan shrugged. "Sorry, Kim," he said honestly. "I was trying to make up for the lack of conversation that –someone- started."

Kim sighed. "Ethan, try to keep Jera and Seth from running out the door and explain to them that Trent's a good guy now. Conner, upstairs."

The former red Ranger did as he was told and headed up the stairs, onto the couch, making sure that he was directly across from the chair so that she'd be able to scold him properly. Not for the first time, he realized that he did manage to get himself into way too much trouble. He was more than surprised when Kim shook her head and motioned toward the spare room which had been converted into a workout room. She let him in, closed the door, and motioned him over to a couple of chairs that had been set up there in order to allow others who didn't want to train interaction with those who did. Once seated, Kim turned to him. "We need to talk."

Conner nodded. "Okay. What about?"

"We've all noticed the change in your attitude, Conner. You're more quick to temper, harsher, temperamental, and angry all of the time," she said as gently as possible. "Just as important, Mercer mentioned that you were having nightmares. He managed to make sure that no one else noticed and he only told me, but I have the feeling that Ethan and Kira know if not consciously, then unconsciously."

"No offense, Kim, but I'm not sure if you'd understand," he said, trying to push past the emotions that were coming forward. He'd been wanting to scream, to cry, to yell, to throw a fit over them for a while now, but he kept up his mask. Kim folded her arms.

"I don't understand exactly what you're going through, you're right. But I do know that I wake up wanting to scream if it's still dark out. I can't sleep alone anymore. I hate being in confined places. I jump sometimes if Tommy doesn't announce himself there. I get nervous being in the Lair by myself. And that's not counting the nightmares," she answered. He looked at her and bit his bottom lip before he spoke.

"It's always cold and dark," he whispered. "And when I go to sleep, I'm not sure if I'm ever going to wake up."

"And you can't tell Ethan or Kira because they won't understand," she continued. Conner shook his head and she nodded. "Just as Tommy won't."

"You… you haven't told Doctor O?" He asked and she shook her head.

"No. The only person I've been able to talk about it with is Mercer and now you," she answered. "You need to talk about this. Mercer and I do, when we're alone, we set up times for it."

"Really?" He asked, sounding so much younger to Kim. She just nodded. "Does it help?"

"Very much so. Mercer suggested it, and I agreed, that it might help if you joined us. We didn't go through exactly the same thing, but it's close," she answered. "Would you like to?"

He nodded, not able to trust his voice at the moment. He felt a tear run down his face and quickly wiped the it away, furious at it's betrayal. He didn't want to drop it, to lose his mask. He didn't want to admit that he was hurt. He tried to speak after a minute, but nothing came out. Finally, the last several months since the final fight hit him and the emotions within him poured out. His mask fell out of place and the pain that he'd been hiding came through. He couldn't stop the flood of tears if he tried now. Kim reached over and gently pulled him to her, rocking him back and forth. He accepted it without pulling his normal embarrassed pull away act. He couldn't. Right now, he could only feel all of the fear, pain, and other assorted emotions he'd been repressing. His mentor gently rubbed his back soothingly as she spoke. "It'll be okay. Give it time. It'll be okay."

* * *

"Where's Kim and Conner?" Kira asked as Tommy and she led the other two recruits down into the lair. Ethan glanced up having managed to convince Jera and Seth that they need to wait for everyone else.

"Having a chat over how to treat houseguests," Ethan joked. "I think. Anyway, upstairs somewhere. They'll be back in a bit. So, you got them, huh?"

"Yep. Tara here already knew," Kira answered. Ethan looked a little impressed by that and walked up to both Ben and Tara, holding out his hand.

"I'm Ethan James. Former blue Ranger. Pleased to meet you," he said with a grin. Both of them took his hand, Tara first and then Ben, before the latter jumped back and pointed.

"What is that?!" He asked, pointing at the raptors who had come into view, curious over the new arrivals. Red chirped a bit to keep Black from rushing over and the lead raptor looked over the new teens. Considering that the other humans had brought them in, he figured that they were wanted here. Still, he would prefer that one of his humans was down here to agree. Ethan glanced over and grinned.

"Those are our raptors. Meet Red, Yellow, Blue, and Black," Ethan answered. Tara giggled a bit as Yellow glanced her over only to be snapped at by Blue who was in protective mode, but Ben just looked afraid of them. Understandably in Ethan's opinion and the former blue Ranger reached over to pet Blue and prove that they were friendly enough.

"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask about that. So, when do we ride them?" Seth asked, moving toward Red. The raptor squawked indignantly and snapped at the boy. Seth's eyes opened and he fell backward. Red's fury grew. How dare this human think that he would have the privilege of getting on his back. The other three new Rangers backed away, more than a little freaked out as Red advanced toward Seth. For his part, the young red Ranger moved slowly, still on the ground. Red squawked again and leapt at him, landing directly over the boy.

"Red! You knock that off right now!" A voice came from the stairs. Kim rushed down, followed by Conner as they rushed toward the furious lead raptor. Kim moved right in front of him, hands on her hips. "These are our guests! Hopefully, they'll be family to us one day. You are not to attack them! Do I make myself clear?!" Red chirped something in response, but Kim shook her head. "No! I mean it!"

The raptor backed off and away from Kim and Seth, heading over to Conner who reached up pet him to try to consol his companion. "Hey, Red. You know the rules. No attacking allies. It's bad enough Elsa won't go anywhere near you," he said and the raptor snickered. To Kim's dismay, Conner joined in. "Yeah, that was pretty cool wasn't it?"

"Conner!" Kim scolded and both of them settled down, mumbling and chirping an apology. It wasn't as if they disliked Elsa, but both tended to think of Evil Elsa and Good Elsa as two people. If she hadn't been so afraid of Red, they may have forgotten completely what the raptor had done to her.

"So, what did you say to my raptor to get him all up and arms?" Conner asked as Red rested his large head on Conner's shoulder.

"I asked if we were going to ride them," Seth answered, looking annoyed. "And then he attacked me."

Conner put an arm around Red, pat his neck and gently pushed him off. "The raptors are ours. Besides what's left of our powers, they're all we have left. They'll help you, they'll protect you, and with time even Red there will probably let you ride him during Raptorball, but normally only Kim and I ride Red. Blue is Ethan's, Yellow is Kira's, and Black is Doctor O's. _If_ they let you ride them, then don't expect it to be an every time thing. Got it?"

"Yeah, no problem. Don't want to anyway," Seth answered, his mood getting darker by the minute. Conner nodded and turned to Red.

"Hey Red? Why don't you guys go out for a bit. We'll call you if we need you," Conner assured him. Red paused for a minute before chirping and racing out the door. Conner turned to Tara and Ben. "I'm Conner McKnight, the former red Ranger. I guess Doctor O and Kira were able to convince you, huh?"

"Yep," Tara answered happily. "I already knew though."

Conner nodded and grinned. "Cool."

"So, now can we know why we're freaks?" Jera asked. Tommy looked a little confused and Ethan shrugged.

"They got superpowers," he informed his mentor. Tommy nodded and turned back to the three.

"If you look at the morphers we handed out to you, you'll see an element. Aquitar is underwater. There are areas that were built that aren't, but for the most part, the world itself is a water world. Kalderon is filled with volcanos, a fire world. Mirinoi is a jungle world, so it's a earth world. And Aeris is a world uninhabitable on the ground so everything is high on cliffs, in the cliffs even. Everything is dependant on windfalls, though they do have space capabilities. An air world," Tommy told them. Conner glanced up.

"Aerislians have wings too," Conner said helpfully. Tommy looked in surprise and Conner looked a little sick. "There were still parts of them left."

Kim quickly took over, not wanting her protégé to got into more detail. "So, each of you has a power from it: Fire, water, wind, and earth. We're not sure how much of it you'll have. You may be able to create your element, manipulate, or have similar powers to the people of the world. We just don't know yet."

"Well, Jera and I do. I can create and she can manipulate at the very least. We sort of set them off," Seth told them. "Nobody got hurt, but they might next time."

"Which is why we're going to train you," Tommy said, understanding why they had been so upset now. "Make sure that no one gets hurt."

"Cool. How?" Jera asked. Ethan grinned a bit and looked calm.

"Seriously? They're going to take you out and let you go nuts in an area you can't destroy. It'll be great," Ethan answered. "I enjoyed it."

"You also enjoy video games over anything. I don't think you're one to judge," teased Conner. Ethan opened his mouth to mock Conner back, but Tommy shot them both a look and they settled down.

"Kim, you keep an eye on things in here. Conner, Kira, Ethan, you three are coming with me," Tommy said. "I might need your help. You four, come on. You're going to have to learn sometime."

The four new Rangers looked at each other. Tara was the first to break away, skipping over to the older teens. Ben sighed, but followed after. Seth and Jera shrugged at each other and joined them as they headed outside. Conner shook his head and glanced over at Ethan. Ethan smiled back at his friend and shrugged as Kira wrapped an arm around both of her boys. All three of them had the feeling that this was going to be a long day.

* * *

"So, control. How are we going to do that?" Seth asked as they got into the open area away from most of the vegetation. There was still some left, but not too much that if Seth lost control they'd have a forest fire loose on their hands. Jera was sitting down on a large rock next to him, arms folded and looking just as interested. Further away from them, Ben fidgeted as he looked on and Tara was calmly listening, if not getting a little distracted every once in a while. Once Seth had asked the question however, even she was focusing.

"Practice," answered Conner with a shrug. "That's how Ethan, Kira, and I learned."

"Yeah, though it was fun to watch you super run into things," Ethan teased.

"Hey! At least I didn't break everything I touched when I was angry," argued Conner. Kira made the move to shut them up, but Conner winked at Ethan who nodded. "Or break windows when I couldn't keep my Pterascream down."

"Those were accidents! Besides, I helped Doctor O pay for the new ones," she argued. When her former teacher started to laugh, she looked his straight in the eye. "You know, I was awake when you and Kim were having that talk about not being able to control your own power, Doctor O. And I'm willing to give everyone here nightmares to match mine."

Tommy blanched at her threat and immediately kept quiet as all six of the others looked confused. Kira's unchanging look only proved that she wasn't bluffing and he stifled his laugh. He quickly coughed a bit to regain his composure before turning to the others. "They're emotion and thought related. You control both and you control your power. As they mentioned, it's not a quick adjustment."

"So, does this mean I'm going to need to get angry every time I want to use it?" Seth asked and Tommy shook his head.

"Just at first. Why don't you all give it a shot? One at a time, of course," he suggested. Seth shrugged.

"Alright," he answered as he got as angry as he had earlier that day. His hands turned redder and redder until, finally, it moved away from his hand and he was holding a small fireball. He stared at it for a second before it disappeared. "Cool."

"I'll show you 'cool', Fireboy," Jera teased and concentrated on wanting water like she had before. Seth's hands flew up to protect him as water shot up near him. The fear in him it became fiery and crashed against the water, sending both teens flying back as both the fire and the water disappeared. The older teens looked at each other, back at the duo, and shook their heads. While their teacher helped pick Seth and Jera up, they turned to Tara and Ben.

"Go for it," Conner said and Tara did. Unfortunately, her concentration wasn't that great and she sent herself flying up into the air, unable to come down.

"Help? Please?" She called downward to her surprised junior mentors. All three of them looked at each other, trying to decide what to do. Ben, on the other hand, stared up at her before the vegetation shifted and a tree branch expanded to her. She held on and it shrunk again, giving her a way to climb down. "Thanks, Ben!"

"No problem, Tara," he answered, sounding a bit embarrassed. Everyone else just looked at him in surprise, other that Tommy who was just nodding his approval. "I'm, uh, good with plants. It's going to be rocks and dirt that I have a lot of trouble with."

"Yeah, right," Seth said, jealousy kicking in a bit. Conner and Ethan looked at each other, nodded, and split off toward each of the boys: Conner to Seth and Ethan to Ben. Kira, on the other hand, helped up Tara and made sure the girl was doing okay.

"Hey, Dude, chill," Conner said, trying to sound as soothing as possible. As both of his teammates, his mentors, and pretty much everyone else who knew him brought up, Conner was not the most tactful of people and the goal was to call Seth down, not make it worse. "Don't tell him I told you this, but Ethan was better at some stuff than I was and I was Red. We Reds want to be the best at everything, but it's a team effort, okay? You'll learn stuff from the other three, they'll learn stuff from you, and you'll make a good leader."

Seth paused and looked at him. "Me? Leader?"

Conner nodded. "Yeah. Your orb thingy. It's red, right? You're a Red. Reds lead. And it wouldn't have picked you if it didn't think you could do the job."

As Seth pulled it out and held it, Conner walked off back toward Kira and sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her to hold her tight. Ethan joined them a moment later and looked at Conner. "He jealous?"

"Yep. Imparted my knowledge to him…" Conner began.

"That couldn't have taken long," Ethan teased and Conner nudged him, giving a slight glare before continuing as if Ethan hadn't said a word.

"And he seemed better. What's wrong with the Green?" He asked.

"They have names, Conner," Kira scolded. "You can't just called them by their colors."

"Just did. You knew who I was talking about. So, Ethan?" Conner asked as his best friend was grinning along with Conner to Kira's dismay.

"Shy, not sure he's up for the job, not many friends. I'm hoping he doesn't run away in battle," Ethan said with a shrug. Conner nodded and turned to Kira.

"What about the Yellow?" He asked.

"Now, you're just doing it to annoy me," she snapped. He shrugged, nodded, and kissed her cheek, causing her to throw up her hands before continuing. "_Tara_ is a little easily distracted, but I think she's more _here_ than she lets on. Like knowing we were Rangers. They're arguing again."

"Let them," a fourth voice said as he joined them. They all moved over to let Tommy sit down next to them. "And to finish, Jera's cocky."

"Great," Conner said sarcastically. "So, we've got a cocky Blue, a jealous Red, a shy Green, and an air-headed Yellow."

"Every team has different people, Conner. You three should know that best of all," he reminded them. "Being a Ranger helps you to become more of who you are instead of just what they outside shows. We'll be fine if they're anything like you three were."

"Like us? Even if we eat all of your food?" Kira asked and Tommy laughed, wrapping an arm around her to give her a quick half-hug.

"Even if you do that. Often," he answered before getting the new Rangers back on course. The other three shrugged and joined him as they tried not to show how much pride they had in his words. They were broken from their thoughts two seconds later when Tara accidentally blew some of Jera's water into Seth, causing a more than slight disagreement.

**

* * *

**

**Author's Note:** I am so sorry I didn't get this out last week. By the time I was ready to, it was Thursday and I decided to wait until this weekend. Still, I feel bad I didn't get it out before.

The only power that even made me wince a bit was Tara's. I swear I tried again and again to give her the water power, but it just didn't work. Wind is just Tara. Unfortunately, that leaves me with the airhead with the air power. I apologize for the pun.

Red. Red, Red, Red. Red's attitude in this chapter will be mirrored later on toward another Ranger, though I'm not going to tell you who. Red is like that grumpy old dog that likes it's family but doesn't want anything to do with outsiders. Also, seeing the difference between Good Elsa and Bad Elsa seemed important to mention for later on.

Finally, Conner. The scene with Kim and Conner was one that I was dying to write. While I was planning it out, I was thinking about how hard it is to talk to others about bad things if they haven't happened to the other person. Someone close to me went through something terrible that I'd gone through several years ago and called me right away because I'd understand. It was eerily similar to mine and I helped her through it a bit. Therefore, I could see Conner not telling the other two because "they wouldn't understand" and Kim not telling because "they'd feel guilty about it" which I've noticed are two major reactions people tend to have when they've been through something horrible. I hope I portrayed it well.


	4. Old Aquantances

**Chapter 4: Old Acquaintances **

"Hey! They're doing better!" Kira argued from her spot in the Lair. It was comfortably set up for her and her guitar which she was messing with between conversations. Conner was at the computer considering it was his turn to watch it while Ethan was working on his video game. Since they were considered to be junior mentors, Kim, Tommy, and Hayley had decided that they needed to be on watch as well, setting up times for them. Fortunately, they had managed to get times where they were all free and tended to pull triple duty by keeping the one who was on shift company. Often, Zack would join them to have discussions on the creation of the Power Ranger Raptorball League, called PRRL for short. There were problems concerning Red's lack of appreciation toward other Rangers riding him, the fact that most teams had more than four members as well as Rangers who had belonged on more than one team. Wes and Eric's team was in the future and therefore, unable to play unless they broke several rules in getting them there which no one really wanted to do for a game. Thus, it was coming along slowly.

That day, however, there was only the three of them. They'd managed to go up against the spider creatures, which had been named Tarantumen, several times by now. None of them pretended to think it was a clever name, but they needed to call them something when they sent the new Rangers out to get them. While hanging back a bit, Conner, Kira, and Ethan did tend to go with in order to help if necessary. If there was just too many, even Kim and Tommy would join in. Hayley had improved Kim's arrows and Tommy had a sword similar to Jason's other than his had white stones encrusted into it and Jason had gotten red ones after the final fight from the year before. They'd both complained about the two swords being so similar that Zack had gotten it done to shut them up. Still, as the discussion was taking place, they were having difficulties with the newer Rangers that weren't easily fixed.

"I dunno, Kira," Ethan said, glancing over from his computer. "Conner's got a point. They're still not working together. Jera and Seth work together and Ben and Tara work together, but they're not working together on the whole."

"Be fair," Conner muttered from where he was sitting. "Tara tries."

"Tara tries," Ethan agreed. "And they're not bad. I mean, Jera fixed up Black's leg with Hayley and Billy's supervision, Ben really has a handle on his earth power, and Seth has gotten really good at fighting. Maybe we should talk Doctor O and Kim into getting them a new toy. We got our weapons right away."

"Yeah," Conner answered. "But I never threatened you with it. Seriously, I saw the weapons and I'm not sure if I want them to have it. We're responsible if they kill each other."

"You're exaggerating, Conner," Kira scolded. "I'm just saying that all we've had to face right now is the Tarantumen. What happens when the monsters start showing up? Or the mastermind behind this whole thing?"

"We're doomed?" Joked Ethan. "Seriously, I don't think they'll kill each other."

"Look, I'd rather they have the weapons when we need them to have them then worry about something they won't do," Kira argued. She looked at Conner, the last of them who they needed to agree in order to have a united front. They were able to convince their mentors of more when they had a united front.

"Alright, alright. Fine," Conner said. "We'll tell them when they get home. Speaking of our various baby-sitting jobs, where are we taking Neen this weekend?"

"Aquarium," Ethan answered. "We thought she might like to talk to the fish."

"You mean see the fish, right?" Conner asked as they both just looked at him. "Got it. That's one ability she still has."

"Why wouldn't she?" Asked Ethan.

"She's half-human, remember?" Conner said. "She can't do everything her mom could. Anyway, we talk to Doctor O and Kim, convince them to let the newbies use weapons, train them with them, pray they don't kill each other, and take our surrogate little sister to the aquarium. Am I forgetting anything?"

"God! You're as bad as Jason!" Kira answered. "You call them newbies, he calls them rookies…"

"He calls me a rookie," Conner answered. "Although, I think it's a term of affection now. It wasn't when he first started out though. Doctor O said he did the same to Cole when he first met him."

"He's also older than you and has been through two colors!" Kira reminded him. "You're the youngest besides them and have been through one color."

"When they start working together, I'll stop calling them newbies," he promised. "And… time. Ethan, your turn."

"Damn."

* * *

"You made a list?" Kim asked and the teens nodded. Tommy shrugged and pointed in the direction of Conner. 

"You wrote him a note," he reminded her. She shrugged.

"It worked," she answered. Ethan and Kira looked confused and she shook her head. "Don't worry about it, guys."

"So, all of you think that we should give them their weapons. We gave them their guns," Tommy reminded them and Conner sighed.

"Yeah, but it's not the same and eventually something big and nasty, as Kim puts it, is going to show up. We think it would be better if they were ready," he said as the other two nodded. "And better now than when they're in trouble, right?"

"Getting their weapons in battle is a time honored tradition," Tommy said with a slight smile. "Or at least first using it there is."

"Doctor O," all three teens said at once. He laughed and Kim smiled. He held up his hands in mock surrender.

"Alright, alright. You three win. We'll give them their specific weapon now before it gets too bad," he assured them. "They're coming to train soon so we'll give it to them then."

"How's college?" Kim asked, changing the subject since they resolved the other conflict. The three of them shrugged and Ethan's eyes shown with humor.

"Oh fine, besides for having to sharing my room with two people instead of one," he answered casually. Both Kira and Conner glared in his direction.

"Oh, come on, Ethan. We're not that bad. We don't do anything when you're not in the room," Conner said, rolling his eyes. Ethan's eyes widened.

"But you do when I'm gone? On your side, right?" He asked panicking. Kira shrugged and shook her head casually.

"Well, we started to, but your bed is more comfortable, so we thought…" She started and at both Kim and Tommy's glare as well as Ethan looking about ready to cry, she dropped it. "Relax, Ethan. We don't go near your side."

"I meant the academic part of it," Kim said quickly. "How's that going?"

"Good."

"Good."

"Passing."

"Conner!" Both Kim and Tommy said as he answered. The teen shrugged.

"Better than I would have been doing a year ago," he reminded them. "Besides, I'm passing. And I'm going to classes."

Kim quickly intervened before Tommy could. "You're right. Sorry, Conner. I think we're all a little stressed."

"We're taking Neen to the aquarium this weekend," Kira said, trying to change the subject a second time to save her boyfriend. "We're thinking she'll like that."

"More than likely," Kim agreed. "She's still adjusting to changing schools… and planets. And she gets excited when you three offer to take her."

Conner shrugged. "She's family."

"So, why can't you feel that way about the new Rangers?" Kim asked and Conner scowled. Kira had been leading the way in trying to accept the new Rangers, Ethan was once again the middle ground, and Conner had been treating it like a business relationship. Kim gave him a slight look and his arms folded as he turned away from them.

"Because if I don't care about them, then I won't care if they get hurt," he answered. "I won't feel bad and be wondering what I did wrong."

Kim sighed and put her hand on his shoulder. "You still will, Conner. You and I both know you care already. You have a good heart and you're like me."

"We all care, Conner," Kira said as she headed over and let Conner hold her. "We're all scared."

"Yeah. It's freaky," Ethan said. "We're responsible."

"It's one reason why we didn't want you three to help," Tommy said honestly. "We didn't want to put you through this, but you can handle it. And we're still mostly in charge."

Ethan gave a fake cough and motioned to the monitor. "They're here."

* * *

"So, we get individual weapons as well," Seth said. "Cool. Where are they?" 

"Well, first you have to morph," Conner said, trying to be patient. He felt Kira's arms wrap around him and Kim's hand touch his shoulder which helped calm him. Seth shrugged.

"Planetary Alliance, power up!" They called. Seth pulled his out first.

"Fire of Kalderon!" He called as he finished morphing, his red suit done in such a way that he looked like moving lava.

"Water of Aquitar!" Jera continued, hers looking like ripples on water.

"Wind of Aeris!" Tara added. Hers was decorated with swirls that looked like yellow, seeable wind.

"Earth of Mirinoi!" Ben finished, his green suit giving him camouflage for green areas.

"Good," said Kim. "Now, Seth, repeat after me: Fire Sais!"

"Fire sais!"

"Jera, Water Trident!"

"Water Trident!"

"Tara, Wind Stars!"

"Wind Stars!"

"And Ben, Earth Sheild!"

"Earth Sheild!"

"These are your weapons," Tommy said. "You can use them apart and together. No one's is more important that anyone else's. Seth, yours are for close range fighting. Jera, use yours as both a lance and a staff. Tara, yours is for longer distance and Ben, yours is for protection. They each have powers which you're going to train to learn as well as just learning how to use them."

"It's getting late," Kim mentioned. "We'll teach you tomorrow. At the very least, you know how to call them. Now, Power Down."

They grumbled a bit, but did so and headed home shortly after.

* * *

"Conner! Kira! Ethan! Look!" Neen called out happily as she pointed at a large aquarium with various multi-colored fish. Ethan walked up behind her to look as Conner and Kira were discussing whether or not to go get food. They were all enjoying the lack of training that they had to put in for the day. The girl was a welcome distraction to the Rangering world for them. 

"They're pretty, huh?" Ethan asked and Neen nodded.

"I wish my face-place had more colors," she whispered, referring to her true form.

"Nah," Ethan answered. "If it did, then it would over shadow everything else."

Neen paused for a moment before nodding. "I believe you are correct, Ethan."

"Ah, his three favorite words," Conner teased as Kira and him joined them. Ethan turned to look at him.

"Hey! I'm not that bad!" He argued. "Besides, look who's talking."

"He's got you there, Conner," Kira agreed, grinning.

"He does not!"

"I do too!" Ethan fought.

"Don't!"

"Do!"

"Don't!"

"Guys!" Kira called out. They both turned to look at her. "Where's the kid?"

* * *

Neen was a little further down from the trio in front of a Leopard shark, where she could still hear them. If she could hear them, then she was probably close enough to them. After all, she'd be able to find her way back and her surrogate siblings could stay arguing for long periods of a time. She sighed and put her hand on the glass. "Salutations." 

The shark paused in it's swimming and headed toward her. She could feel the slight confusion radiating off of it, well, him. He swam toward her a bit and stopped, waiting for her. Neen smiled and put her other hand up. The shark came closer and stopped in front of the glass looking at her. "I am Neen. What can I call you?"

He paused but made a noise that only she could hear. She nodded at that. "Kamoh. It is a very nice name. I am looking around your home. Have you always lived here?" She asked. He waited a few seconds before answering in the affirmative. "Wow."

"Has he?" Neen jumped and turned to look at a little boy about her age.

"Aff… Yeah," Neen answered, a little annoyed that slang didn't come easily to her.

"How can you hear him?" The boy asked and Neen shrugged.

"My daddy knew the Alien Rangers and they taught him a little bit," she answered, not exactly lying. What they had taught him wasn't necessarily how to speak to fish, but the boy didn't need to know that and Daddy had said it was okay to fib to protect the 'family' secret. Both the Rangers' secret and what she was.

"Wow! I was saved by a Power Ranger once," he said. "It was really scary. I'm Dante."

"I am Neen," the little girl answered and held out her hand to shake his. Dante looked at it, thought for a minute, and shook it. "Which Ranger did you meet?"

"The red one. It was last year," he answered. "He was really nice. The white one wasn't. He threw me!"

Neen's eyes got huge. "He threw you?"

"Uh huh. Into water. I couldn't swim neither!" Dante said and paused. "Neither could the red Ranger. But that's okay. Tyrannosaur Rexes can't swim. I saw it on a cartoon."

"But my daddy lived in Angel Grove and he said the red Ranger could swim and he was a Tyrannosaur Ranger too," Neen said. Dante looked a little confused at that and shrugged it off.

"Maybe he was just lucky," the child decided. Neen shrugged.

"We like the blue Rangers in my family. I even have a blue triceratops," she informed him. "I named it Ranger after the first blue Ranger."

"Why do you like blue Rangers? Most girls like the Yellow one," He asked and Neen shrugged.

"Because they are intelligent like me," she answered, leaving out the fact that her father had been one. "When I get older, if I get to be a Power Ranger, I hope I am blue."

Dante shrugged. "I wanna be red."

"There are other colors," she told him. "You could be black or green or white or even yellow!"

"Yellow's a girl color!" Dante argued, wrinkling up his nose. "No 'fense."

Neen shrugged. "Blue is a boy color, but I still aspire, that means hope, to be it. Besides, some red Rangers can be really bossy I have heard."

"Really? I don't wanna be bossy," Dante said, thinking it over. "You know a lot!"

"Thank you!" Neen answered happily and then frowned. "You are not going to say 'for a girl', are you?"

Dante shook his head. "Nah. Girls can be smart and I don't know any boys that can talk to sharks!"

Neen smiled brightly and turned to the shark. "This is my new friend, Dante. He is nice."

The shark said something else to her and she turned to Dante. "He says hello."

"Hi Mister Shark!" Dante exclaimed, waving. Neen was about to turn to ask it another question, when she was interrupted.

"There you are!" Conner said, looking a little relieved. "Kira! Ethan! I found her!"

"I told you she wasn't eaten by sharks, Conner," Kira said as she headed over and looked at Neen. "You scared us. I don't want to tell Billy we lost his only kid, okay?"

"I am sorry. I only wanted to talk to the shark and you were arguing. I did not think you would notice," she said honestly. "And I made two new friends. The shark is named Kamoh and this is Dante. He was saved by the red Ranger last year."

Conner looked at the kid and did his best not to pale. He knew for a fact that there were plenty of rugrats that were Neen's age, yet she managed to find the only one that he'd spent any time with as the red Ranger. Not to mention that the kid was observant which, while a good trait in general, was not good when he was trying to keep a secret. "That's great, Neen. Well, it was nice to meet you, Dante. Come on, Neen. It's time to…"

"But you told me that we could spend at least three hours here, Conner," Neen informed him, looking upset. "It has only been thirty-three minutes."

"Yeah, but…"

"There is still over two hours before Papa's date ends with Hayley," she told him. Conner, Kira, nor Neen noticed that Dante's eyes squinted a bit in concentration. "And you decided I could choose."

"I know but…" Conner started and Dante looked over at him.

"Mr. Conner, how many times did you save Hayley anyway?" He asked and Conner barely looked over at him.

"Lots but… uh oh," he said. Kira looked a little confused until she began to piece it together. She winced as badly as her boyfriend. Dante's eyes lit up.

"I knew it! You're…" he began, but Conner quickly put his hand over the kid's mouth. He motioned for the kid to keep quiet as he took his hand off and headed to a more secluded area. Kira grabbed Ethan as they passed by him and dragged him with. Once in an area where there was less people that could here the kid's exclamation, Conner nodded to Dante. "Red Ranger!"

"I don't suppose you'd buy it if I said I wasn't?" He asked Dante who shook his head wildly. "Didn't think so."

"I asked Miss Hayley to tell you, but in case she didn't thank you for saving me," Dante told him. "You were great! Why can't you swim?"

"Uh… no reason. And you're welcome," he answered. Kira blinked a few times.

"Doesn't he have parents?" She asked and Dante looked at her.

"I have a mom," he said helpfully. Conner groaned.

"Don't ask. There was a reason I had to save him," Conner groaned. Dante looked at Ethan and Kira.

"Were you Rangers too?" He asked, not waiting for an answer before looking at Conner. "Would you let me ride in the Tyrannosaurus Zord?"

"Can't. It got destroyed," Conner answered. "Alright, we can handle this. Dante, I'm going to let you in on a super huge secret but you can't tell anyone except Neen because she already knows. That means you can't tell your mom or your friends or anyone else you know unless we say it's okay. Got it?"

Dante nodded and looked at Conner solemnly. "Yep."

"Good. Yes, I _was_ the red Ranger but my powers are gone now. I lost them after the last fight. Later on, we'll have a talk with Hayley and see what else you can know, okay?" He asked and the child nodded.

"Okay," he said and looked at Neen. "So, you already knew?"

"Affirmative," she answered happily before looking at Conner. "Conner, I thought the fish were supposed to stay inside of the aquarium."

"They are," he answered and she pointed toward the entrance.

"Then why is the lobster walking around?" She asked, pointing at a human sized lobster that was indeed entering the building. Conner groaned and looked ready to cry over the whole mess. He'd nearly lost Neen, had his identity figured out by a six-year-old, and now there was a giant lobster attacking the building. His life sucked.

"Because apparently I did something wrong in a past life," he answered and leaned down to his wrist. "Dactyl, you there?"

_"Codenames again, Rex?"_ He could hear the amusement in his mentor's voice and tried not to scowl.

"I'll explain later. For now, you might want to send the newbies. They finally sent one," he answered. He heard Kim curse under her breath and he couldn't help but to snicker. "We'll evacuate, but the sooner the better."

_"I'm on it. Good luck," _she said and the communicator went dark again. Conner looked at the others and saw that they were just as unhappy that the entrance was blocked.

"Alright, where are the other exits?" He asked and Kira pointed to one that was equally blocked by Tarantumen. "Okay, not good. Neen, do any of your friends know a way?"

"I can ask Kamoh," she suggested, rushing back toward that part of the aquarium. Ethan picked up Dante under one arm so that they could move quicker and they headed toward Neen. She looked at Kira apologetically. "He says he will tell us if you promise not to scream. They have heard about it. They do not wish for the glass to break."

"Got it. No screaming," she promised. Neen nodded and turned back to the shark who gave her quick directions which Neen related back to the others. Kira looked up at the crowd and called out. "This way! There's an exit this way!"

The trio led the way, not letting go of either charge. Once they reached the exit, they directed the other patrons toward the door before the Tarantumen could catch up with them. Ethan glanced at Conner. "Someone should take the kids!"

"Mr. Conner! There's more people coming!" Dante mentioned, pointing at the new crowd that hadn't seen the exit before. The three moved a bit to let them get in the moving line, wishing the group would go quicker. Conner gave Ethan a look and the other teen set Dante next to Kira. Conner gently pushed Neen over to her as well. Kira looked up at them, fury in her eyes.

"Oh, he...ck no!" She exclaimed, watching her language in front of the children. Conner sighed.

"Kira, you're the only one who can't use her power right now. Ethan and I can. I'm sorry, Babe," he said honestly and her eyes darkened further before she finally relented.

"Don't call me 'Babe'," she said, though there was little malice behind it. "Only until the other Rangers get here?"

"We're hoping," he promised her. He turned to Neen and Dante. "Listen to Kira and if you guys notice that someone you saw inside isn't out here or running down the street to the car, let her know so Ethan and I can watch out for them. Okay?"

"Okay," both children answered. Neen had learned to copy the okay when they asked her for it instead of giving her father's old response. Conner nodded, gently messed with Neen's hair, before nodding to Ethan as they ran back in. Kira only hoped that the others would get there in time.

* * *

Both of the former Rangers looked at each other and Conner looked at Ethan. "We need a plan." 

"Okay, we should probably get him out of the aquarium before the others come. We can try to push him out the front door," Ethan suggested. "You know, so there aren't fishy casualties when the others get here."

"Fishy cas…?" Conner asked, giving him a look. "Are you serious?"

"Hey, you want to tell Neen we got her friends killed?" Ethan shot back.

"Not really. Okay. We protect the fish. Come on," Conner said, still not having much of a plan, but he hoped that Ethan and he would be able to work one out as they went. They rushed in and toward the monster. Conner used his speed to trip it while Ethan toughened his skin and let loose into its body, knocking it toward the door. They heard the clattering behind them and knew that the Tarantumen were heading in toward them.

"Conner…" Ethan said and the other nodded.

"I know. Let's go down fighting," he answered and they charged again, managing to knock the monster from the building. The Tarantumen followed as Conner and Ethan stood their ground. They weren't exactly disappointed to see a burst of fire cut off the monster from them, nor that the Tarantumen retreated a bit when it happened.

The new Rangers rushed over to help up Conner and Ethan. "Are you okay?" Ben asked and Conner nodded.

"We're fine. Go kick ass. We'll make sure everyone got out okay," he assured them. They nodded and called for their weapons as Conner and Ethan made their way back inside. Conner paused a few feet in and touched his communicator. "Hey Kira, everything okay?"

_"It's fine. I took the car,"_ she answered and both boys cursed quietly knowing that they were down a ride. _"Sorry, Guys, but I wanted to get the kids out."_

"No problem," Conner lied. "Just don't crash my baby."

_"I won't. See you back at the house. Kira out."_ Conner sighed and touched the button to hang up as they looked around. With luck, she'd already let Kim know and Doctor O would be on his way to pick them up. Neither one wanted to call her and ask since she needed to concentrate on watching the new Rangers.

"You see anyone?" Conner asked, a little ways off from his friend. There was no reply. He turned around to face him, but he wasn't there. "Ethan?"

He turned the corner and was face to face with an older looking man with tan-grey hair, a slight beard, and tan armor as well as a helmet. His hands, however, were pinchers and it was clear that this wasn't his permanent form. Ethan was at his feet, eyes wide open and looking around, but paralyzed beyond that. Conner took a fight stance as he tried to figure a way out of the situation. The man looked at him. "Stand down, Boy."

"I'd rather not. We're not exactly good at surrendering," he answered and watched as the man lifted a hand and some sort of energy rushed at him. He used his super speed to dodge the first couple of shots, but the third hit him straight on and he fell where he was, paralyzed as badly as Ethan. He thought for a moment and used his speed to rush his metabolism, determined to get Ethan and him out of there. He wanted to scream out in pain as it was painful to rush through, but by the end of it, he was able to pull himself up and onto his feet. The man sighed, but didn't bother to paralyze him a second time. Instead, he merely knocked Conner's legs out from under him.

"Stay down," he told him. "Where's the third?"

"Somewhere not here," Conner answered trying to sound brave, though his voice even sounded tired to him. He wasn't sure that was going to be a good enough answer until the man nodded. Conner reached for his communicator, but the man took it from him and Ethan's soon after. Thanks to Billy, he recognized the feeling of being transported and felt his hope leave him.

* * *

"Seth! Watch your left!" Kim shouted to him and nearly hit her head against the desk. "Your other left!" 

"Need a break?" She glanced upward as Tommy lean in to kiss her cheek as they watched. Kim shook her head.

"No, I've got it. I'm just worried about them and the other three. I haven't heard from any of them," she answered.

"Any of who?" Kira asked as she headed downstairs, Neen and Dante each holding one of her hands. Both Tommy and Kim looked at the little boy and then back at Kira. She shrugged. "He figured out about Conner and he knows about me and Ethan."

Kim nodded and turned back to the screen. "Jera, use your trident. Tara, fly them upward. Ben, Seth, work together. Earth and fire are powerful. That should help," she instructed before turning back to Kira. "Where's Conner and Ethan?"

"Back at the aquarium. They were fine the last I heard. I was going to head back for them," she answered and Tommy shook his head.

"Don't worry about it now. We'll just teleport them," he said, watching as Kira winced from not thinking about that before. "So why did you come back?"

"I'm on kid duty. I couldn't use my scream because I promised Neen I wouldn't break the fish's glass after they said they'd tell her the exit if I promised," she answered. At their confused look, she shrugged. "Couldn't scream, they could still use their powers, I was elected to get the kids to safety."

Tommy nodded and began to mess with the teleportation device as Kim continued to help the Planetary Rangers. After the fire and earth held him down, they used their weapons together to destroy him. Tommy, on the other hand, looked more than a little perturbed. "Huh."

"What is it?" Kim asked, the menace not growing at the moment. She was still watching the screen, but there didn't seem to be a continued threat. For some reason, it wasn't growing. Tommy didn't answer her right away, but instead moved to his communicator.

"Conner? Ethan?" He asked. There wasn't a response. "Come on, Guys. I need you to come in. Guys?"

When there was no answer again, both Kira and Kim looked at Tommy. Kira was the first to respond. "Doctor O? Where are they?"

"I'm not sure," he answered, messing with the controls as well as the communicator to try to find them.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Kim asked, deadly calm. This time Tommy looked up at her.

"I mean, I can't reach them on the communicator or find them with the teleportation system," he answered. "They're just not there."

"You lost our boys?!" Kim screeched and Kira immediately turned to Neen and Dante.

"Okay, that's enough adventure for the two of you. Upstairs to color," she said and Neen shrugged taking Dante's hand.

"They need grown up time," she said wisely. "You should call your Mommy."

"Okay," Dante answered, going with the flow. Kira waited until they were upstairs before looking back at Kim and Tommy.

"I didn't lose them! They were already lost!" Tommy argued, though even he had to admit that there wasn't much of a difference and it didn't matter who had lost them. The only reason they were yelling was because they were both scared. Kim moved to yell something back, but Kira's voice, though quiet for her, interrupted.

"We're going to find them, right?" She asked and both adults turned their attention toward her. They immediately dropped the argument and turned back to her.

"Of course," Tommy said, gently pulling her to him. Kim wrapped an arm around them both and put the other on the girl's back. "We're not going to leave behind our own."

"The others are coming back," Kira mentioned, pointing to the screen as the four headed through the cave entrance. "I'll call Hayley. She'll want to know about Ethan."

"Send her and Billy down here when they get here," Kim ordered, trying to hide her own fear for Kira's sake. "We'll find them."

* * *

Conner was unceremoniously dropped to the floor once they reached their destination. The man had been forced to drag him when Conner had tried to fight once the transporter had stopped. The man was more gentle with Ethan, setting him down on the ground instead of dropping him. The other boy was finally coming out of it and was trying to pull himself up. Conner pulled himself up and helped Ethan up, letting the other lean on him. Before he could try anything, the man placed a pincer-hand against each of their necks. He could feel the sharpness of the edge and knew that if the man wanted to, he could eviscerate them without a problem. 

"My lady, I brought them," the man said, not being able to kneel, but bowing his head in respect.

"Good, Chelone," a voice spoke softly to him. "They seem to be in one piece. Were they trouble?"

"A little," Chelone answered. "But an understandable amount. I would have done the same."

Conner and Ethan didn't see or hear a response, but they'd learned that that was usually a good thing in these circumstances. The voice continued. "There were three? Where is the girl?"

"My lady, I apologize. She left before I could get her. I thought it best to bring these two here before I looked for her," Chelone answered and he tapped Conner's neck. The boy breathed in sharply instinctively, but Chelone didn't break his skin. "This one can move through my poison."

"We have two. That will be enough," was the answer. "You were wise to bring two back instead of none."

"Thank you, my lady. Do you want me to lock them up?" He asked and she finally came out of the shadows. Conner had to admit that for someone who was probably going to kill them, she was pretty. She seemed Asian, if she would have been human, with golden armor. She was definitely not someone to be messed with and he instinctively knew that at one point, she'd been more willing to kill and move on, but the years had seemingly calmed her. She wasn't threatening them or even harming them yet and she seemed to know what she was doing as if she'd been through it before. More importantly, as if she had a long-term plan.

"Not yet," she said and looked between the two boys for a moment before landing her look at Conner. "You're the red one, aren't you?"

Conner wanted to nod, but the pincher was too close. "Yeah. Well, I was."

"Close enough," she said and looked at Ethan. "Blue Ranger, tell me. Does your base still have a communication center?"

Ethan didn't answer right away and winced when Chelone moved his pincher in closer. Using their powers took energy that he still didn't have. "I don't think I'm supposed to answer that."

"They had communicators, my lady," Chelone said. "I took them from them before the transport."

"Good. Release the red Ranger," she instructed and he did so. He handed her one of the bracelets that he'd confiscated and she took it in one hand and Conner in the other. "Make no mistake, red Ranger. I only need one of you alive and Chelone is in the perfect position to kill your friend there. Just do what I say."

Conner looked at Ethan and saw just how right she was. He swallowed hard and nodded. "Okay."

"I'm going to hook this up to a communication system. It will find a way back to your base's computer. Then, you and I are going to have a little chat with your mentors. Do you understand?"

Conner glanced back at Ethan and nodded, feeling a little defeated. "Yeah," he answered.

"Good," she answered as she hooked it up. Conner made sure to watch, but didn't do too much else. He figured that if he could figure out how it worked, then they might be able to use it later. It flickered a few times before they could hear anything, let alone see it.

"_Doctor O? Kim? The computer is doing something."_ Kira's voice spoke and after a couple seconds, Conner could see her face. He had the feeling that she could only see him since he was standing directly in front of it. _"Conner?! Where the hell are you? Do you have any idea how much you scared me, you stupid jock!"_

Conner winced a bit at that, but didn't take any direct offense to it, knowing that she was just scared. "Hey, Kira. Are Doctor O and Kim there?"

"_Conner, are you okay?" _He heard Kim asked before he saw her stand behind Kira and Tommy joined them a second later.

"_What's going on, Conner?" _He asked, not sounding angry. At that point, Conner knew that his mentors knew he was in trouble. If they hadn't, they probably would have been as angry as Kira, whose expression was starting to change back to worry. In as much trouble as he was, he just wanted to wrap his arms around her and promise her that he'd be okay as Tommy was subconsciously holding Kim.

"We, uh, ran into some trouble. She wants to talk to you, I think," Conner answered and glanced at the woman who nodded. "Yeah, she does. Look, don't tick her off, okay? The other guy has Ethan and I'm trying not to get him killed right now."

Tommy's expression darkened. _"Well, tell her we're ready to talk to her."_

Conner looked at the woman. "They're, uh, ready to talk to you."

She moved behind him and pressed a few buttons so that the screen's view increased. She wrapped one arm around him, pinning him in place and the other she gently moved through his hair as if he were a pet. Conner didn't move a muscle though he wanted to throw her across the room. He watched as both of his mentors' eyes widened in quiet panic. She only looked at them. "Tommy, Kimberly."

"_Aren't you supposed to be dead?" _Tommy asked, keeping his voice calm. The woman shrugged.

"I wasn't in this galaxy, Ranger," she answered. "I was surprised to hear what happened to my former allies, however. As was I surprised to hear that you and the rest of your friends had moved on from being Rangers and were mentors now."

"_And you came back?"_ Kim asked. _"I would have thought that would be a reason not to."_

"I'm full of surprises," the woman answered with a slight shrug. "Enough with your bantering. I'm assuming you want the two younger Rangers back."

"_I'd like you to get your hands off him before I come there and wipe that smug smile off your face," _Kim nearly growled. In spite of the situation, Conner had to smile at his mentor's response. The smile disappeared when she scratched the side of his face slightly.

"Careful, pink Ranger. I'm sure you'd hate for something permanent to happen to them," the woman answered as Kim's anger seemed to increase even further. Still, she kept her tongue. "Now, I want the two of you. You two want Conner and… Ethan I think his name was? How about a trade?"

"_What, no 'give up the Rangers' power' idea?"_ Tommy asked and the woman laughed.

"I can defeat them later. And I will. I want the planet, but for now, I want the two of you. Especially you," she said, looking at Tommy. "So, do we have a deal?"

Tommy looked directly at Conner. _"Other than the scratch, have they hurt you?"_

Conner shook his head. "No. I'm a little confused about that actually. They paralyzed us, but that was it," he said honestly. He kept himself from taking a deep breath before he continued. "Don't. Stay. Help the new Rangers."

He was expecting the backhand she gave him and he didn't move to dodge it when she let him go. He could hear the protesting on the screen as he started to pick himself up. The woman looked at him and back at Ethan, causing him to stop in his tracks. She turned back to the screen. "I'll give you some time to think it over."

"_Scorpina!"_ Tommy called out, but she hung up afterward. She turned her attention to Conner who wasn't moving and shook her head as she dragged him up.

"You were doing so good," she told him. "And then you had to ruin it at the end, didn't you?"

"If I answer that truthfully, are you going to kill Ethan?" Conner asked and she shook her head. "Powers or not, we're still Rangers. Kim and Doctor O are better mentors than we are so it's better for Earth if we die instead of them."

She had to admit that she was surprised by his words. She was expecting him to tell her that they'd be save anyway and that it wasn't necessary for his mentors to do that. She'd expected him to be unlike this young man standing before her telling her that he didn't matter as much in the grand scheme of things. "Chelone, lock them up."

"Yes, my lady," he answered, waiting on Conner. Conner looked over at Scorpina who glanced back at him in annoyance.

"Get moving, Little Ranger," she warned him. "Before we do something you'll regret."

Chelone looked at him again and Conner headed over. Once he had both of them in front of him, he let go of Ethan as his pinchers turned back into hands. They started to move to make a run for it, but Chelone sighed and they were each grabbed around the waist, pinchers back. "I can carry you both there or I can leave you your dignity and you can walk."

They both sighed and Ethan nodded to Conner who answered. "We'll walk."

"Good," Chelone answered, leading them down a corridor and into a room. Both boys were surprised at how well furnished it was. There wasn't a bed, but rather a bunch of pillows and blankets instead. There wasn't much other than that, though neither Ethan nor Conner knew if there were buttons that opened a closet or something like that. Nor was there a window, but that too could be closed. "You'll have to share the sleeping nest. Don't bother trying to knock through walls or doors. You won't be able to. I'll bring you some food later."

With that, he closed the door and locked it. Conner glanced at Ethan. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I think you got hurt worse than me," Ethan answered.

"Is this freaking you out too? I mean, I'm used to them trying to kill us on sight, but…" he started and Ethan nodded.

"They haven't really hurt us too much, they're being sort of nice for psychotic evil people, and they gave us a pretty nice room," he finished. "You think we shouldn't tell Kim and Dr. Mercer this part?"

"Not unless you want to hear them both, Kim especially, complain about how she got a freezing cold room where they starved her and we got paradise," Conner joked. They were both quiet before Ethan spoke up.

"I think she likes you," he told his friend who made a face.

"My cheek says you're wrong," Conner answered as he laid down in the nest, tired from everything that had happened. Ethan shrugged. "Besides, she's evil. Oh god! This isn't going to be like Elsa coming on to Doctor O, is it?"

"Not that kind of like!" Ethan said, making a similar face. "I think you intrigue her."

"Oh," Conner answered. "Hey Ethan? I'm bored."

Ethan sighed. "Fine. Want to play 'Anywhere but here?'"

"Cool."

* * *

**Author's Note: **I decided Neen needed a friend. And since I'm lazy and don't want to create another new character, I brought back Dante. He's named, he was going to figure it out, and I could see him getting along with her. So, yeah. Plus, I found myself liking him well enough. Always a plus. 

Maybe it was just me, but I always liked Scorpina. Even when I was a little girl, I liked her. And don't think that she isn't after the other Rangers, by the way, Tommy and Kim were just easier to start with if you think about it. Chelone seemed like a good second for her.

Because I missed last week, I've decided to give this one to you as well. I still feel bad about missing my own deadline. So, I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for all of the reviews! I appreciate it!


	5. Coming Home

**Chapter 5: Coming Home**

Ethan sat up and looked at his sleeping companion. He moved some of the pillows to make it seem as if he were sitting next to his friend as he did sometimes in the dorm room when Conner had a nightmare. While Conner never asked him to, often times Ethan would head over to the bed and sit next to him until he calmed down or woke up. He moved away from the nest, not sure what else to do other than try to find anything technological he could hot-wire into letting them out. He couldn't help but to wonder if Conner knew how bad he got when he was asleep though both he and Kira knew. Before Ethan could move to start to work on getting the door opened, however, it opened itself and Chelone walked in with some Earth food. He set it on the ground and Ethan glanced over. "Thanks."

Chelone nodded. "Where's the other one?"

"Sleeping," Ethan answered, motioning to the nest. "I'll make sure he gets some."

"Good," Chelone answered, starting back out, but Ethan's voice stopped him.

"So, what's your reason?" Ethan asked. At Chelone's slightly confused look, he continued. "You know, to help take over the world, blah, blah, blah."

The older man nodded in understanding. "Our planet was destroyed. We require a new one and yours will suffice. Our lady has a problem with some members of your species anyway so it works out for everyone."

"Except us," Ethan mentioned and the man sighed, though he seemed a little amused.

"Except you," he agreed. "I enjoy your wit. Is the female the same?"

"Yeah and she's Conner's," Ethan said, getting a little defensive. Chelone put up his hands to try to placate him. It wouldn't do to anger the boy and eventually have to harm him, after all. His Lady had explained several times she needed them both in one piece for the moment.

"I never meant it in that way," he assured Ethan. "I was supposed to take all three of you, but considering that she wasn't there, that didn't happen. So, I'm curious about her now."

Ethan thought for a moment and nodded. "Yeah, Kira's similar."

"You seemed reluctant to even mention her," Chelone mentioned.

"Well, you are the bad guy," Ethan reminded him and Chelone shrugged.

"From your point of view, I suppose. However, humans would do the same as us if they needed to. At least our planet was destroyed. I've noticed that humans started looking because they can't stop reproducing. Tell me, if your species ends up taking over a world to satiate their needs, would you not be evil as well?" He asked and Ethan shook his head.

"I wouldn't. You're actively involved," he argued. "Couldn't you find an uninhabited world?"

"There are none that suit us," he answered. "Both in food and in habitat."

"You could try," mumbled Ethan, turning away from the other. Chelone stood behind him.

"And you could try to live underwater, but it wouldn't do you much good," Chelone said, making sure not to get to close. "You should eat and sleep. I will return later for the tray and plates."

Before Ethan could say anything else, Chelone had walked through and relocked the door leaving the former blue Ranger alone with Conner was starting to toss in his sleep. Ethan calmly headed over and shook him. "Come on, Conner. Food's here."

Conner groggily woke up and looked at Ethan. "You 'kay?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine," Ethan answered, helping Conner up. "We need to eat and get out of here. Come on."

* * *

"That is the stupidest idea I've ever heard!" Aisha spat out as she listened to Leo's outline. "Seriously, we need a better idea."

"Half of us can't even get there in time," Ashley added. After acquiring several different computer screens, Billy and Hayley had set up the Lair to be able to talk with all of the different teams, plus Aisha, Rocky, and Adam. Kat and Tanya had been visiting the two boys and were able to share while Aisha had one to herself. "Even with the speeds we can go, we'd never get to Mirinoi and back to Earth in time. Billy, can you do another mass transport?"

"I could," the first blue Ranger answered. "But I am trying to make sure we don't short circuit it. If we did and we were in a position to get them out, I am not sure if I would forgive myself."

"Eric, Wes, what do you think?" Kat asked, making sure to stay sensible. Many of the female members of the team had taken up with either trying their best to stay calm like Kat or had given into anger like Aisha. There wasn't a lot of middle ground at the moment.

"The Silver Guardians are ready to help, but without knowing where we're going…" Wes said and gave a half-shrug. He looked at the two mentors sympathetically. "Sorry, Tommy, Kim."

Tommy just nodded, holding on to Kim as they listened. The two were not allowed out of the Lair at the moment, under Elsa and Mercer's orders, so that they didn't run off and turn themselves over like they would have done. Thus, they were sitting and listening to their various colleagues attempt to make plans which consisted of the usual: The Reds wanted to run in and take them back, the Blues wanted to plan it out by the detail so that there was no messing up, the Yellows and Pink were giving their opinions as well as trying to be consoling to the Dino Thunder team, and most of the other colors were giving their opinions here and there and blocking the exit so their Reds didn't just sneak off.

Elsa and Mercer were taking the job of blocking the three Reds within the Lair with Elsa on one side and Mercer on the other. They were hoping Seth would stay still, but Tommy and Jason were far more likely than even some of the other Reds to rush out the door. Kira leaned back against the wall as she watched her predecessors argue. She wasn't sure what the best way to go about saving Ethan and Conner was, but she knew she wanted to apologize to them at the very least. She'd taken the car, she'd been scared enough to scold Conner when she'd gotten to see him, and she hadn't been there. She wasn't there with them now, helping them to get out. Granted, it had been because of Conner and Ethan that she hadn't been there, but that didn't make her feel better. Part of her wished that she had argued more with them while the other part knew they were right and she was the best choice. Both Kim and Tommy had been willing to do the trade a short while ago. In fact, she was thankful that Elsa and Mercer had already been called since she was pretty sure that she wouldn't have been able to stop them.

_"Just… stay here," Kim told Kira gently as Tommy had grabbed their communicators. "We've already called the others. They'll take care of you and you'll take care of the new Rangers."_

_"I don't think that…" Kira started, but Tommy cut her off._

_"No arguments," he told her as they finished and headed toward the door. Red and Black had firmly refused to go anywhere, even if Kim was technically the head of the pack, and were both lying down so that they couldn't be ridden. Tara was watching, biting her lip and unsure as what to say. Seth's arms were folded and he looked annoyed enough to try to save Conner and Ethan himself. Jera and Ben were just standing back, unsure of what to do. Dante and Neen were coloring upstairs and Kira was relieved that she didn't have to worry about them seeing any of this at the least. Still, with Tommy and Kim leaving, Kira was directly in charge, something she wasn't ready for._

_"They… they need you. Doctor O, I can't do this alone!" Kira said, trying not to sound as scared as she felt._

_"Conner and Ethan will be back soon and Jason will be here to help," he told her. "It'll be fine, Kira."_

_They rushed toward the door, but both started backpedaling once they reached it. Kira glanced over, surprised at that, and nearly laughed when she saw Elsa and Dr. Mercer heading down the stairs. Elsa was pretty calm, though she was backing her boyfriend up, but Dr. Mercer didn't look very happy. His arms were folded and he had a stern look set on his face. He looked between them. "Ms. Hart, Thomas, where do you two think you're going?"_

_"They're surrendering," Kira answered for them. "Apparently, that's how we handle things now."_

_"Kira…" Tommy said in a warning voice._

_"Don't scold her," Mercer said coolly. "She's not the one in the wrong here."_

_"Mercer, they'll kill Ethan and Conner!" Kim argued. Mercer stood there._

_"Possibly."_

_"So, we're going!"_

_"And tell me, Ms. Hart. How is that going to help?" Mercer asked. "Tell me, how often does the other side tell the truth? How often are they honorable enough to complete their deals? You're both only acting on the parental love you both have for those boys. I would probably try to do the same for Trent, but you're Rangers, mentors, and needed here."_

_"Even Conner knew that," Kira whispered. "He told you to stay."_

_"We can't just leave them!" Kim exclaimed and Mercer shook his head._

_"We won't. But surrendering isn't an option. They're intelligent, capable, young men who thwarted Mesagog time after time. They are Rangers. There are several dozens of you scattered throughout the world and time. Use those resources. Help them escape, but the truth is, if it's them or the world, you have to choose the world," Mercer reminded them. "Now, let's call Hayley and Billy, hmm?"_

She smiled a bit at the thought and promised herself to tell the boys when she saw them. They'd get a kick out of their mentors getting chewed out like they were teenagers again, especially after the lecture they'd gotten for investigating the ship without waiting. Mercer had been extremely patient with her and the new Rangers since then as there was little any of them could do to help at the minute. She'd noticed that about Dr. Mercer though. He often let them into his house for whatever reason since the death of Mesagog. Kira believed it had to do with Trent leaving and empty nest syndrome, but none of the three were willing to call him on it. They enjoyed their time at the mansion and were surprised to find that it hadn't been as difficult as they would have thought to think of both their former enemies as part of the team. It hadn't happened overnight, but time heals wounds and the trio had even tried to keep in contact with Trent which had, ironically, been Conner's idea.

She knew that Trent had been contacted, but she hadn't been around for it. Kira had had the difficult job of making sure Dante and Neen stayed out of the way and keeping an eye on the new Rangers. She felt a slight nudge against her and glanced over to see Yellow pushing her. The raptors had specifically been told to stay there, which they had followed, but none of them were handling it well. Blue was extremely subdued and, along with Red, was watching the back door intently as if they would be able to will their riders home. Black's attitude matched his own rider and he was pacing around the cave, ready for action. Yellow was moving about, but he'd taken to checking on Blue every so often before heading in a different way. He felt lost, much like his own rider, wanting to comfort his pack, but not knowing how to go about it. Kira reached up and pet his head soothingly, as much for herself as for the raptor.

"Can he actually feel that?" Kira glanced up to see Seth looking down at her. His arms were folded and the other three were with him. The others looked more subdued themselves, but Seth had had a problem with the raptors since Red had nearly torn into him.

"Yes, they can," Kira answered, not in the mood to put up with it. Normally, she understood that, but if he was going to come into the lab, he'd have to get over it eventually. They weren't just going to give the raptors away or make them stay outside after all. "They're not stupid. They're actually really smart."

"They're machines," Seth answered. Kira shook her head.

"More like cyborgs, actually. They're made with a mix of electronics and DNA," she tried to explain. "None of their personality was programmed. It's just… there. Doctor O didn't intend for them to be this way, I think, but we've all agreed it's a nice surprise. Blue is definitely female. She's actually on a maternal kick so be careful around Neen if she's in the room. Black is the youngest. He's like a teenager. He doesn't always listen and he tends to leap into trouble, but his heart is in the right place. Red is the leader. He has been since they hatched. He's a warrior, even around Conner who he accepted as a partner a long time ago. Then again, get his around Kim and he's like a big puppy dog."

"What about Yellow?" Ben asked quietly. Kira thought for a minute before answering.

"Yellow is like me. He mediates, follows Red's lead, and knows when to have fun. Yellow and Blue are twins so they tend to argue a lot, but when something happens like now, he gets upset even though it's not his rider. He's upset because I'm upset, the other raptors are upset, and because he does like Ethan and Conner. Seth, look. I know you didn't have the best experience with Red when you first met him, but even Elsa doesn't hate them. She doesn't go near Red, ever, but she doesn't hate them and Red bit off her hand," Kira said. At their look, she sighed and rolled her eyes. "The power Mesagog gave her helped her grow it back."

"He could do that?" Jera asked and Kira shrugged.

"Guess so," she answered, happy to have a new subject change for even a minute. Still, she knew she needed to go back into Mentor mode. "You guys are unusually calm."

"Yeah," Seth said with a shrug. "We're going to get them back. We're the good guys. They good guys don't lose or die or anything like that, right?"

"Oh boy," Kira said with a slight wince. She and the others had gone through this as well, but it wasn't any easier knowing the score the second time around. Nor was it going to be easy to let them know. She looked through the screens carefully and, finding the one she wanted, she nodded to herself. "Leo, can I talk to Kendrix please?"

He nodded and Kendrix came on the screen, looking as sympathetic as the other women. "Kira, I'm sure we'll find them."

"Thanks, Kendrix, but I was wondering if you could talk to my… well, the new Rangers. They had the same opinion the guys and I did about Rangering and death and since you've been there…" Kira said, sounding as awkward as she felt. Kendrix just nodded and looked at the four Rangers with their young assistant mentor. Tara caught on slightly quicker than the others.

"Who died that you knew?" Tara asked and Kendrix sighed.

"I did," she answered.

"You?" Seth asked dubiously and Kendrix gave a shadow of a smile.

"I got better."

* * *

"You're going to fry yourself again," Conner warned from the pillows as he took another bite. Ethan didn't even spare him a glare, hoping he was on the right track this time. The two had been coming up with various ideas, but other than Ethan's hotwiring plan that he was on now, most of them were either really bad ideas or just plain stupid. Unfortunately, his friend was right and he'd electrocuted himself several times already. He was starting to be convinced that Scorpina knew what he was up to and was letting him continue for her own twisted amusement. In a way, he was making her life easier. If Doctor O and Kim did show up and looked at them, she could tell them that he injured himself. She didn't have to lay a hand on him.

"You could help, Conner," he growled as he tried again, wincing as he did electrocute himself once again.

"Nope. After my 'you have hard skin and maybe they were lying so trying running at the wall' plan, you decided that whoever thinks up the idea has to do it,"

Conner answered. "And I did not come up with this one. It's all you."

"When I die, you're going to be alone and without a brain because I'm sure as hell not going to haunt you for the rest of existence," Ethan told him, still annoyed and now in pain once again. He didn't hear anything for a minute and winced. "Conner?"

He turned around and saw Conner standing there was some of his leftover food in his hand. Conner had eaten a lot slower than Ethan since his metabolism was quicker. He wasn't sure how often they'd get fed and he didn't want to waste it. Ethan pulled away from the wall as Conner held it out. "Here. I'm sorry."

"Ah, Conner. I'm just frustrated," Ethan said, pushing it back gently. "I've been shocking myself, kidnapped, and watching you to make sure you're okay during the nightmares. Yes, I know you've been having them. So does Kira. And when you were sleeping, Chelone talked to me. He said that his planet was destroyed and they need a new one. He brought up Earth's history of conquering and how if it was happening to us, we'd do the same and that we've already started to because of overpopulation."

"And so now you're not so sure they are evil?" Conner asked. Ethan nodded. "I guess we're part of a real war now. There are no good or bad sides, just survival."

"Probably. You've been acting like it's a war since it started anyway," Ethan reminded him and sighed a bit, ready to say what was really on his mind. "Still, I miss the old you sometimes. The optimistic one. The happy one. The one that wore his heart on his sleeve and bragged about Kim to every single Ranger at the 'reunion.' You talk to anyone about that because I'd like him back."

"You and Kira complain and complain that I'm always acting like an idiot and the moment I wise up, you want me dumb again?" Conner asked, a slight bit of humor behind the words. After all, Kira and Ethan hadn't really called him an airhead for months, even before the end of Mesagog.

"Funny, Conner. Seriously, have you?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah, I talked to Kim," he answered honestly.

"She's going through things too, huh?" Ethan asked and Conner looked surprised. "Hey, not necessarily as well as say, Yellows, but Blues are perceptive. How was she dealing?"

"I think it's a secret," Conner answered. "Doctor O doesn't even know."

"Fair enough. As long as you're getting it out," Ethan said. "You know, they're going to try to rescue us."

"Yep," Conner agreed. "Probably get the rest of them in on it too."

"Maybe. But at least the originals, Kira, the new Rangers," Ethan said. "So, I was wondering…"

"Yeah?" Conner asked, not seeing Ethan's growing grin.

"Doesn't Kira still have the keys to your car?" He asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible. Conner blanched.

"She wouldn't…"

"It's Kira."

"She couldn't…"

"Your girlfriend…"

"She…"

"Ki-ra."

"My car!" Conner exclaimed. "We have to save my baby. Quicker Ethan! Here, I'll hold the wires for you."

Ethan snickered as Conner flew back a bit from the shock the wires gave him. Somehow, he didn't feel as bad now.

* * *

"So, people have actually died," Jera said slowly. "And Conner and Ethan might not really make it back."

Kira couldn't help but to wonder when the first Rangers had realized that they were playing for keeps. Most likely when Jason had nearly died in the other dimension, realm, thing. She'd only been there last year with the same feelings that they were going through now when they found out and nearly lost Kim afterward. "Yeah, but they will. We'll keep trying until we get them."

"What if they're dead?" Ben asked so quietly that Kira almost didn't hear him over the hustle and bustle of the Lair.

"We bring them back, I'll talk to their parents, and we'll give them two funerals: one for everyone else and one for us," she answered, trying to stay calm about it. The thought terrified her, but someone had to do this. Kim and Doctor O were busy trying with everything else, they were all busy with other things, and as one of the younger Rangers, there was little else she could do right now. "Look, I'll call you guys if something changes. I have tomorrow off from school anyway."

All of them looked at each other, not sure what to say to that. They wanted to claim Conner and Ethan as their friends too, but the truth was, the four new Rangers had barely spent time trying to get to know each other, let alone their slightly older comrades. Kira noticed it and promised herself that _when_ they found Conner and Ethan, they would make sure to spend time with the new Rangers and make sure they started getting to know each other outside of the uniform. Still, Seth did look sincere when his parting statement was "Call us. We want to help."

"I will," Kira promised and sighed once they were gone. Yellow put his head in her lap and she pet him without thinking about it. "When did life get so difficult, Yellow?"

The raptor nudged her face slightly, a trait they'd learned was similar to a dog's lick or a cat head-butting a human's hand. She glanced over to see that Doctor O wasn't bothering to push away Black as the raptor looked over his head as he had before, instead reaching up to pet him. Kira almost laughed as she wondered when the raptors had been so engrained into the Lair that even her mentor didn't seem to mind anymore.

"Kira? Are Conner and Ethan back now?" She glanced up to see Neen and Dante standing in the doorway, both looking like they'd just woken up. They probably had. Coloring was only going to entertain them for so long and it had been a rough day. The only good thing about this whole mess was they hadn't had to call Conner and Ethan's parents like they would have last year. It was a slight blessing.

"Not yet," she said, pushing all of her enthusiasm to the front as she headed to take them back upstairs. "Do you guys want to watch a movie?"

"We _want_ to help Ethan and Conner," Neen answered sounding determined and firmly staying where she was.

"Conner saved me," Dante added with a bit more panic in his voice. Still, he crossed his arms and stood next to Neen. "I need to help him."

Kira nearly sighed, having expected this to happen sooner or later. She still took them upstairs, having to drag them both, as the older Rangers argued, though some more than others. The Ninja Rangers from the Wind and Thunder Academies were actually doing little arguing as they were nearly as young as Kira. Like her, they put in their ideas, but they were letting the older, more experienced Rangers do most of the thinking. In fact, they'd taken to mostly making sure that Kira and the other new Rangers were okay. She glanced over at the female, Tori, and the other girl nodded. She'd let Kira know what was going on later. Kira was able to turn her attention back to the children once they were upstairs. "Guys, look. The person who took them is really mean."

"We know," Neen said seriously. "You led us out of the room, but we could still hear."

"Guys, I took you out so you wouldn't hear it," she groaned. Dante shrugged as Neen nodded.

"Yep," Dante answered. "And we mostly did 'til we hear you say Conner's name. Then we listened."

Both children were nodding and Kira sighed. She'd tried before, but Neen could see through any trick the trio, or even the older Rangers, tried. She was just too clever, like her father. "Look, you can't come with. You're too little. I'm sorry, but you'll get squished. But… I know Kim and Doctor O. Everyone else will be involved, so you guys can keep an eye on things for us in the Lair in case they decide to crush the city while we're not looking."

Neen weighed this silently while Dante looked ready to protest. Still, he waited on Neen before doing since she was smarter than him. After a moment, she nodded. "Dante, she is correct. We will get squished! Besides, it might seem like a baby job but all of the _mentors_ have to do it."

"So, it's important?" Dante asked excitedly.

"Affirmative," Neen answered, using the word her father had used for so many years, though it was almost sing-song the way she put it. Dante nodded to Kira, seemingly placated with the situation as much as Neen was. Kira relaxed as they ran off and she wondered exactly how Jason was going to convince Trini of the same thing. Hopefully carefully, with well-timed words and… hopefully he let Kim do it. She ruffled both of the kids' hair before she raced downstairs as the others called for her. A plan had been formed.

* * *

"Sometimes, I even amaze myself," Ethan said gleefully as the door, several hours later, opened. Conner glanced out before looking back in at his friend.

"Sometimes?" He teased. "Come on. There's no one there. Let's get to the control room and go home."

Ethan nodded and the two fled down the hall. They were careful enough not to make too much noise nor did they ignore their surroundings. They stopped when they heard the voices coming from one of the rooms momentarily.

_"So, that lobster was the worst we had?" _Scorpina asked.

_"Yes. We decided to send something weak to get to know their abilities," _Chelone answered. _"The next won't be so easy…"_

They didn't bother sticking around to hear more. With that little knowledge, and the fact that both of their main captors were busy, they were left to get out more easily. They raced into the control room and Ethan watched the door. "You're sure you can get this, right?"

Conner glanced up from the console. "Well, technically I only know how to use the communicator, but there aren't that many buttons. How hard can it be?"

"Conner, you're joking, right? Haha?" Ethan asked in horror. When Conner didn't answer right away, he paled considerably. "So, how are you going to figure it out?"

"Well, I know some of the buttons that won't work. I'll just press the others," Conner answered. "Hayley can make us new communicators, right? We'll just leave ours here…"

"How many more buttons are there?" Ethan asked, starting to panic.

"About five," Conner answered, completely calm.

"And how are you going to figure it out from there?" Ethan demanded.

"I'm going to guess," Conner answered, sounding sure of himself. Ethan's eyes widened.

"What?! Conner!" Ethan exclaimed before Conner pushed the button down.

* * *

Kira floored it down the road having "borrowed" her boyfriend's car. As he worried, she wasn't exactly as careful with it as he was and she didn't seem to care about anything at all but getting to the meeting place. It hadn't been a great plan, or as Trini put it, even a good plan, but it was the best that they had: Head toward the downed ship that the trio had found and use the energy, as well as the Tarantuman's body, in order to create a link between where they were and where Conner and Ethan were. Usually, even minions had some sort of lock so that they could be transported after all. It just wasn't the safest thing and there was no guarantee that it would get someone there in one piece. Often, the lock was broken at best. They were heading there now to go. Zack, Jason, and her were going to try this while the others were to supervise.

If it worked, the supervisors would meet up with Wes and Eric, along with some of the other Silver Guardians to send them as well. Both Rangers had offered as soon as they could. Those supervising were also able to stay there until the others returned, even if it took days. It might even take days to get them there in the first place which was why Conner's car was loaded with food and blankets, though there was still room for the boys when they rescued them. The four newest Rangers had wanted to go as well, and they were on supervision duty, but if the city was in trouble, they needed to be there.

As it turned out, the entire plan didn't need to happen as she drove down the stretch and glanced out her side window to see Conner and Ethan, tired and dusting themselves off on the side of the road. The caravan immediately stopped and Kira flung herself from the car as Conner waved cheekily at them. She didn't care. She threw herself at him, lucky that he caught her, and kissed him straight on the lips. After a moment, she dove at Ethan and embraced him as well. Conner looked up to see the others coming toward them, staring. He couldn't help himself. "So, where are all of you off to?"

"You idiot," Kira said, halfway affectionately. "We were trying to save you."

Ethan had to join in on this one and the two boys grinned at each other before turning back to her. "Way to show up when we don't need you anymore."

Kira glared at them both. "Why did I want you two back?"

Conner grinned. "You love us."

She threw up her hands and moved out of the way, though a small smile was starting to form from knowing that they were alright. She wasn't surprised to see Kim checking them over next and she tried not to laugh as their female mentor looked panicked. "Are you two okay? I was so worried about you!"

"Kim… crushing… can't breathe," Conner complained and Ethan just nodded in agreement. Kim loosened her grip. "Would 'I'm sorry' work for you?"

She shook her head, tears falling again. "I am so sorry."

"Okay. I meant me. This is new," Conner muttered to Ethan. Ethan sighed.

"Is this like with Kira where I need to go to the other Rangers and see what we're supposed to do next?" Ethan asked and Conner shook his head.

"Nah. I got it this time. You might want to go to Hayley, though," he answered and pulled Kim to him. "Hey, I'm okay. It's all going to be okay. It's over now. Hey, Doctor O. Are you going to hug me too?"

"Eventually. When my fiancé and one of my best friends let go of you and Ethan," he answered. Kim, though still crying, let him go and Tommy pulled the younger man into a quick hug, the same he often did to Jason and the rest of the guys. Once Hayley let Ethan go, he did the same to him. "I'm glad you're both alright."

"Why wouldn't we be?" Conner asked. "I, err, we had everything under control. Right, Ethan?"

"Sure, I'll buy that," Ethan agreed. "Conner?"

"Yeah?"

"If you do that again, I'll kill you," Ethan said, glaring at him.

"I got us here, didn't I?" He asked and Ethan rolled his eyes.

"And there were four other buttons. You got lucky!" He exclaimed and Conner rolled _his_ eyes.

"And if I would have let you do it, you would have thought about it too long," he told the other. "Seriously, how many times did we get fried before you finally got the door open?"

"I got electrocuted fewer times once I reminded you Kira had the car," Ethan teased.

"You were the genius. You could have said 'Oh, I already tried those wires. They're not the right ones. Putting them together will cause you to get shocked across the room'. But no. You let me do and then laughed," Conner said, faking a pout that was similar to his mentor's.

"I got sick of watching you sit there, eating, while I was getting barbequed," he told him. Conner held up his hands.

"You made the rules. You come up with the idea, you're the one who has to go through with it. Hot-wiring was your idea," he answered.

"Only after you got me to run into the wall!" Ethan exclaimed. Kira finally broke in after that.

"You had him run into the wall?! Why do we listen to you?" She asked and Conner looked at her.

"Hey, I wasn't the one who got the 'hardened skin' gift. I got speed. That wouldn't have done anything but flattened me," he answered. "Ethan actually had a shot at it. Besides, I got barbequed too when I didn't have to."

Kim was holding her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing by this point and Tommy was just groaning and holding his head. Both of them looked up as Jason put his hands on their shoulders before turning to the younger three. "We're just glad you're okay. Crazy, but okay. We need to call Eric and Wes to let them know that they don't need to rush to the site and Trini's probably still worried sick. We should get home."

Zack grinned. "You two should have seen it. Billy and Hayley rigged the computer and got tons of screens so that we could talk to every Ranger group. It was great. They were arguing and plotting and you could definitely tell colors. People were guarding exits so the Reds didn't fly out the door, Blues were contemplating, everyone was coming up with ideas. Hell, Mercer and Elsa, Mercer especially, made sure that Kim and Tommy didn't run out the door to surrender like their big plan was."

"Thank you, Dr. Mercer," both Ethan and Conner quickly interrupted in chorus. Kira just nodded in agreement since she'd already thanked him.

"You're welcome, Boys," he answered, brushing it off. Still, the trio silently promised themselves that they would do something special for him at some point. As they were thinking that, and Zack was going on about everything else that had happened. The four young Rangers came up beside them and Seth faced Conner. Kira was absentmindedly standing behind Conner as she always had as Ethan as doing the same on the other side. The four weren't as coordinated with it yet, but they still did a good job of it.

"We're, uh, glad you guys are okay," Seth told him, holding out his hand. Conner took it.

"You four doing okay?" He asked seriously and glanced at Kira. "You told them, huh? I recognize that look."

"They needed to know. I let them talk to Kendrix too. I would have waited, but if something would have happened to you guys…" she started and let it trail off. Conner nodded and turned back to Seth.

"We're fine, Seth. And we're going stay that way for a long time, right guys?" He asked Kira and Ethan.

"Right," Kira answered.

"I'll go with that," Ethan added and motioned toward his wrist before looking at Hayley. "By the way, Hayley? We're going to need new communicators. Ours got taken away."

"I think we can manage that," Hayley promised as they got into cars to head back.

* * *

"Aunt Trini! They have returned!" Neen called from the bottom of the stairs. Trini had been upstairs working on making a dinner for the three of them, leaving the younger two under the watchful eye of the four raptors. Black had been more playing with them than anything. Blue had, fortunately, also been slightly distracted from her post at watching for Ethan by making sure that Black didn't play too rough. Trini hadn't even noticed that Yellow had followed her out of the lab and into the house, though forbidden for the raptors to do, until she mentioned she needed to set the table and the raptor was carefully getting the plates down. Red had stayed at his post, waiting for Ethan and Conner to return with the others.

Trini called the two up, which both children did immediately, and kept a hand on each of their shoulders. "Now, do you remember what I told you?"

"No tackling, jumping, or diving on Conner and Ethan because they could be exhausted," Neen repeated perfectly.

"And exhausted means tired and worn out," Dante added, having had to look up the word to see what it meant with Neen's help. Trini nodded and smiled at them both, though groaned a second later when she heard the other three raptors climb up the stairs. She gave them a scolding look.

"First of all, you're not supposed to be up here. Secondly, same rules apply to the four of you as they do to the kids," she said, not bothering to try to get them to go back down especially since she'd let Yellow stay up there to help her. Red chirped in a way that sounded solemn to her before giving two chirps to the others who didn't move. Trini sighed, but shrugged it off.

"Hey! We're back! Did you miss us?" Conner asked as he was the first to enter the house. Ethan followed, looking just as happy as his friend. Dante put his hands on his hips.

"You don't look exhausted," he informed them and Neen continued.

"Are you well, Conner and Ethan?" She asked and Conner responded by scooping her up and swinging her around.

"I am doing fine, I think!" He said to her and turned to Ethan. "Hey, I've got a present for you, Man."

He literally tossed her to Ethan who had prepared and was able to catch her without falling over. He just grinned back at Conner. "It's what I've always wanted."

Neen was squealing with glee at this point though Kira put her hands on her hips. "No throwing the kids!"

"Yes, Dear," Conner said, half-way sarcastically and doing his best to try to look consolatory about it. Kira shook her head and sighed as Conner turned to Dante. "So, I suppose you know everything now, huh?"

"Yep! You're still my favorite one though. We helped out. We stayed in the Lair place and watched to make sure that no one attacked while you were gone," he told him, going from excited to solemn in less than three seconds. "Neen says that's important and she's really smart."

"She's right. It was very important," Conner answered, forcing his own solemn attitude to the front. "You were helping to save the city."

"Cool," Dante said, turning his head to the side in amazement. "Can I help again sometime? Please? Or just come over to play more?"

"I could go there," Neen offered and Dante shook his head.

"No, uh, Mom is busy. Sorry," he said half-way quickly. Hayley and Conner both frowned as they remembered his wayward mother. More than likely, she just didn't want to watch him let alone two of him. Neen, on the other hand, just turned to Tommy and Kim.

"Aunt Kim, Uncle Tommy, can Dante come over more often please?" She asked and they both nodded. They squealed and started to run off to play, but Conner felt Neen's arms around his waist followed by doing the same to Ethan. Then they headed out of the room. Conner, Kira, and Ethan nodded at each other, happy she had someone her own age to play with.

"Hey, Kim? Doctor O? Since when are the raptors allowed in the house?" Conner asked, pointing to the four still raptors. Kim put her hands on her hips and Tommy frowned.

"And just what do you four think you're doing?" She asked. Red answered by walking over and gently nudging Conner while Blue did the same to Ethan. Though he hadn't lost her, Yellow headed over to Kira, putting his head on her shoulder again. Red chirped a bit and Conner smiled.

"Hey, I miss you too, dude," Conner promised him as he pat his side. Ethan was doing the same to Blue, but she was nearly knocking him over as she made sure he was alright. Conner looked up. "So, I understand that you have dinner for us?"

Trini threw her arms around both boys and looked at them seriously. "Don't you ever scare us like that again," she scolded and then smiled. "And dinner's on the table."

* * *

"Can't sleep?" Conner glanced over as Ethan asked and shook his head. "Me either."

"Want to talk about it?" Conner asked. "I mean, we did a little, but…"

"I'm just still confused, I guess," Ethan answered honestly. "I mean, they treated us nicely, you know?"

"Yeah, but whenever I think about it, I can still remember how I felt when I thought Chelone was going to kill you," Conner said. "It freaked me out."

Neither could help it as they mutter-sang a couple bars from Kira's song before turning back to being serious again. Ethan nodded. "It wasn't great for me either, but you handled it pretty well."

"Thanks," Conner said. "This is going to be different, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Ethan answered. "I mean, what happens the next time we see Chelone."

Conner grinned. "Don't worry about that, Ethan. Did you see the look on Kim's face? She'll be watching us like a hawk for months! If she even lets us out of the Lair."

Ethan laughed, but their conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door. Ethan, already sitting up, went to answer it and led in Kira who looked a little embarrassed. They turned on the light and she sighed. "You guys can't sleep either, huh?"

"Nope," her boyfriend answered, moving over so she could sit next to him. He wrapped an arm around her and let her rest her head against his shoulder. "Let's talk about something else, okay?"

"Oh! So my professor thinks that he might be able to get me an interview with a record producer," Kira offered as a change of subject. "With a little luck, I might be able to start fulfilling my dream of being a singer."

"That's great, Kira!" Ethan said and Conner nodded in agreement before kissing her on the side of the mouth. "I think that I'm almost ready for that music and I fixed the fighting on the game. That was a huge help, Conner."

"Glad to help, man," Conner said. "So, when will it be done?"

"Uh… with monster attacks? Sometime before we graduate I hope," Ethan joked. The three started laughing before Ethan turned to Conner. "What about you? How long before we see Conner the star player?"

Conner's smiled died and he looked at the ground. "Probably never," he admitted. "I'm good, but… I think I need to figure out something else to do with my life. I'll never be able to dedicate myself the way I need to."

"Do you know what yet?" Kira asked and Conner shrugged.

"I never gave it much thought, you know?" He said. "I know I want to help people, but that's about it."

Kira pulled him to her this time. "Hey, no matter what you decide to do, we'll support you."

"And help if we can," Ethan added as he headed over and sat on Conner's other side, putting his hand on his friend's shoulder in support. They were quiet for a little bit before changing the subject once again. None of them were able to get much sleep that night anyway.

**

* * *

**

**Author's Note:** As I said before, NaNoWriMo is starting up on Thursday and I'm participating. I've worked hard to get the other chapters written up so this shouldn't affect all of you. With luck and a little work, I'll have every chapter up each week. Once December hits, my writing schedule will be back to normal but as I said before, none of this should affect you. I hope.

I enjoyed writing with Ethan and Conner. They were fun. I also had fun with Yellow. It occurred to me when I was writing the chapter that he was the only raptor with no real personality. I mean, Red's developed rather quickly along with Black's and once Blue was found to be female, she was easy to work with to. But I wasn't sure where that left Yellow. So, his creation as a character became much more easy.

Thank you for all of the reviews from last week. As soon as I look it over, there will be a one-shot for Halloween. It will be out before Halloween is over. Thanks again, Guys! I love getting reviews and reading through them. I tend to keep longer ones in my inbox so that I have something to look at if I'm getting frustrated. It helps a lot.


	6. Conversations

**Chapter Six: Conversations**

"Thank you, Sander," Mercer said as the butler set down the food and drinks they had asked for. The man nodded and left, leaving him alone with his two guests. Kim had grabbed the other chair in the room which seemed to suit Conner fine as he laid on the couch, careful to not let his shoes touch the upholstery since all three adults would chew him out for it. Mercer seemed just as pleased as Kim that Conner had agreed to do this and both of the adults had been willing to talk about their own experiences as well. They knew it made it easier on the young man if they were willing to talk. He didn't feel as weak.

"So, what about when you were unconscious. After the final strike against Mesagog?" Kim asked. "You mentioned it was odd."

"Yeah. The power and I were kind of connected, you know? Trent and I weren't. We were able to use them together, but there was no connection between him and me or his powers and ours. It was just silent from his angle, but Mesagog was a different story," he answered and felt himself pushing to continue instead of hiding from it again. "I could, for a little bit, see what he was trying for, his thought, everything and some of it stayed. I didn't forget it. Then there was nothing, but…"

"You knew everything," Mercer said. Conner looked up and realized that the man before him understood, that he had been there. The younger man nodded.

"Do you… Does it… Do you think…" Conner tried, but he felt unable to put his thoughts into words.

"Sometimes, yes. But he isn't me and he isn't you and you won't become him," Mercer promised seeing the expression on the young man's face. Kim and he had been working on this very problem with him all summer. He'd broke through quite a few barriers and he preferred that Conner got some of what he'd learned. "Even if you have dreams of shifting into him."

Conner seemed surprised at that, but quickly got over it. "You have the same dreams."

"Often," Mercer said with a nod. "But they're just dreams."

_It seems we have more in common than you thought._ Mesagog's words flew through his head as he remembered that fight, getting the claws for that small amount of time, becoming more like the Tyrannosaurus Rex. He didn't hate his chosen dinosaur, but that Mesagog looked like one too hadn't helped matters. Nor did it help that no one had started to become their dinosaur before them. Kim put her hand on his shoulder.

"They're just dreams," she reiterated. Conner shrugged.

"Maybe, I guess, but what if Mesagog was right?" He asked and she looked confused. "He told me that I… I had more in common with him."

"He was a psychopath. What have I told you about listening to psychopaths?" Kim said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Is this like the 'don't listen to Trent' deal?" Conner asked and Kim nodded. "Oh. Don't."

"Then why are you?" She asked. Conner shrugged. "You have more in common with Jason and Rocky than you do with Mesagog. I promise."

"Are you sure? And, okay, listening to psychopaths again, but Scorpina seemed weirded out by me. Like she was expecting someone else," Conner said. "She looked kind of a mix between confused and impressed and it creeps me out. And don't bad guys like people who are similar to them?"

"I'm not surprised. You're not like typical Reds," she said and he looked both upset and insulted. "Oh, you have Red traits, and I don't mean it badly. You are a great leader. Look at Kira and Ethan. They'd still follow you to the ends of the earth if you asked them to, but you're a lot like me too. It's not a bad thing. I personally think it has to do with how few people their were on this team. Kira and you both tend to have pink traits as well as your own color, once again not a bad thing to have, and Ethan actually tends to have black traits. Tommy is more of the extra Ranger. Again."

"You don't seem to like that," Conner teased and Kim sighed.

"They're more reckless than most Reds and that's saying something," she answered and Conner nodded.

"So, because we only had three members, we had to add in the other traits," Conner said and Kim nodded. "Oh."

"It also helped keep you close together and as a team. While other teams tend to split a bit into different groups, you three didn't have that option and it worked in your favor," Kim told them and Conner looked confused.

"Huh?" He asked and Mercer took over.

"Tom explained to me that Trini and Billy were often working together, he and Jason were closer, the girls tend to be closer, and Zack would go with whichever group he felt like that day. It wasn't wrong, it was personality based and this was a team who were friends before," Mercer explained and Kim nodded.

"Or take the new team. Seth and Jera hang out together. Tara and Ben hang out together. They don't really hang out as a group," Kim told him. "Kira, Ethan, and you did and still do. You became closer and you weren't about to leave anyone out."

"Got it," Conner said and sighed. "Yeah, we've noticed that about the new team. Kira's thinking we should spend time with them and convince them to work together."

"Do your best," Kim said. "Feeling a little better?"

"Yep," Conner said. "Cake time!"

Mercer chuckled, but easily obliged in cutting the cake for all three of them.

* * *

"Holding… holding… can I stop holding the button down now, Hayley?" Kira asked. "I know we said we'd help but this is kinda getting ridiculous."

"A little longer, Kira," Hayley answered.

"Just be glad you're not holding it up," Ethan said with clenched teeth has he held it in place. Kira winced at that considering her friend looked exhausted.

"Sorry, Ethan," she apologized and he gave a noise that told her not to worry about it. "I'm just a little frustrated."

"We're all frustrated," Tommy answered. "They shouldn't be breaking like this. Did you call Trini and Billy, Hales?"

"Yep. They reminded me about the blueprints, but even they're confused at why it's not working," Hayley answered. "Okay guys, you can stop now."

Both teens immediately stopped what they were doing and relaxed. They moved on to the next tasks which were less physically exhausting for them, well, at least Ethan. Only Kira's finger hurt. Ethan turned toward Tommy. "Hey Doctor O? Can I ask you a question?"

"Depends on what it is, Ethan," he answered.

"Right. So, you're a paleontologist while Jason and Rocky each run a dojo, right?" He asked and Tommy nodded. "So… what do the other Reds do?"

"I'd suggest telling them in chronological order," Hayley teased. "That way you won't forget one."

"Funny, Hayley," Tommy said, though he'd already decided to anyway. "Well, Andros continues to look for threats throughout the galaxy and T.J. works with him mostly, Leo has a permanent job with Terra Venture doing similar jobs that he had on the base, Carter still works at Lightspeed Rescue, Wes and Eric are both heads of the Silver Guardians, Cole went on to help animals, and Shane and Hunter are both Sensei of their respective academy."

"I think we should convince him to be a therapist," Kira whispered once Tommy and Hayley stopped paying attention. Ethan who snickered, glad she'd caught onto what he was thinking about.

"I think he _needs_ the therapist," Ethan joked back. "Besides, Conner? A therapist?"

"Good point," Kira agreed before they spoke up again. "So, the only thing they have in common is they're still helping people?"

"Yep," Tommy answered and Ethan stored the information for future use. It might help Conner out later. Kira interrupted his thoughts before he could dwell on it further.

"So, what are we working on, anyway?" She asked and Hayley laughed.

"Back up and take a look," she answered. Kira did, followed by Ethan and both of their eyes widened. It moved slightly, though what they had been working on hadn't. Kira finally realized why they had been working outside in one of the darker areas. Her mentors knew better than to keep them in the same area as before since it would be easy to find. It looked down at her and snorted, but did little else and Kira kept herself from backing away further. Had it been hers, she would have reached to touch it, but it wasn't meant for her. It was meant for a Ranger. Ethan whistled a bit before he said what she was thinking.

"Aeris Gryphon," he muttered. "We've been working on Tara's Zord."

* * *

"I'm not that bad!" Seth protested as Conner spoke. The elder teen rolled his eyes as he wasn't perfect at tact.

"You're a Red and I've been watching you. You do it," Conner answered.

"How is it you're the only Red who agrees with this stupid theory?" Seth asked and Conner shrugged.

"I was mentored by a Pink. Some of it stayed with me," Conner answered. "Otherwise, I might have done many more stupid things than I already did. Doctor O and Jason aren't exactly known for their great ideas by the rest of the Rangers."

"How bad could they be?" Seth asked.

"At Jason's wedding, they were going to use karaoke to distract the guests. If you're wondering why that's such a bad idea, get Jason, Doctor O, and half of the other male Rangers drunk and you'll find out. Other than Zack, they can't sing. They've done two, count them, two Red missions…"

"Red missions?" Seth asked dubiously and Conner nodded.

"Yep. Missions only for Reds," Conner answered.

"Cool!" Seth said as his eyes lit up. Conner groaned.

"No. Not cool. Bad. Very bad. Painful," Conner told him. "The female Rangers especially don't like Red only missions because we're supposed to be a team. And I've noticed that the other male Rangers aren't exactly quick to give the Reds cover either. Well, except Rocky but that's because he runs the other way."

"What?!" Seth asked and Conner nodded.

"Yep. The first time Tommy called him and he pretended the phone wasn't working, packed a bag, and convinced Zack to take him to Vegas. They had a blast. He was enjoying the company of beautiful women while the other Reds were getting throttled by their wives, girlfriends, and just plain female friends. The second time he claimed to have a sixth sense for it. Adam said he left exactly a day before Tommy showed up. He later told me that he was going to come for me, but Kim had already told him she had it taken care of. He convinced Billy to use the transporter to send him to the Bahamas, called Zack, and the three of them enjoyed their time there. They convinced Ethan to baby-sit Neen. Kira and I ended up helping," Conner explained.

"Well, where were you?" Seth asked and Conner grinned.

"See, that's the best part: Kim's my mentor. She knew that getting throttled the first time wasn't going to teach them anything so she wrote me a 'get out of the mission free' note. Doctor O came, I showed him my note, he didn't handle it well, and Jason asked me not to say anything about it as he dragged a rather angry Doctor O out the door. It was great. I got to listen to music."

"She wrote you a note," Seth said slowly. "And that got you out of the mission. How?"

"They could have dragged me kicking and screaming there, but according to my note, that meant that Doctor O and Jason would get throttled more and I'd get off without a bruise. I love my note," Conner answered. "So, look. There is no best color. Most can't even agree on a best Ranger. Doctor O is the most famous, but when you go through colors like that and you're the Ranger who was in uniform longest, you tend to get some notice. And he is great, trust me. I was his teammate, but he wasn't the best at backing down from being in charge."

"Who do you think is best?" Seth asked and Conner shrugged.

"I'm not impartial. Kim's my mentor, remember? Ethan, Kira, and I have argued long and hard about it. And that's not taking the rest of the Originals into consideration or even any of the others that followed. I don't think you can pick the best from them because each of us has our own flaws and our own strengths," Conner answered, but quickly broke out of the solemn speech just as Seth was starting to think he was wise. "And I don't get credit for knowimh any of this, by the way, by any Red Ranger. That's what Kim and Trini screamed at Jason and Doctor O when they got back last time: That I'd had the good sense to stay behind and listen to reason. I got to watch. With ice cream."

"So, the point is, everyone is important and don't go on the awesome Red Only missions,' Seth said. "Are you going to write me a 'get out of mission free' note too?"

"Yeah, but I don't know what it will do. It's not like Doctor O fears me. Don't worry, though. I'll figure out something. At the very least, you can enjoy some place sinfully good with Rocky if I can't. Rocky's cool like that," Conner assured him, before turning serious. Any trace of his former, normal self was gone. "Look, you're halfway good with Jera. The two of you laugh and joke, you hang out together, but it's different when you're both powered up. You're worse with Tara and Ben, either ignoring them or telling Ben why he's wrong. Dude, he's not an alpha male like you. He's happy following your lead, but he can still have good ideas. You need to start listening."

"Like you needed to start mentoring?" Seth fought back and Conner paused what he was doing. Seth looked at him with his arms crossed for only a moment before he was backing up a bit. He was starting to figure out the correlation between Red and Conner.

"You know, Ben might not want to be top dog, but compared to you, I _am_. I back down to Jason and Doctor O as a sign of respect anymore. They came before me, they know more about this than me, and they respect me in return. I want to respect you too, Seth, but I need that respect in return. I came before you, I know more than you. That said, I should have been mentoring better, but at least I'm trying now. Let me know when you're ready to try," Conner answered and backed off, winning without even needing to touch Seth. The younger teen stood there for a minute before answering to Conner's back.

"What if I willing to try now?" He asked and Conner shrugged.

"Then we start again from where we left off," he answered and paused before giving it a try. "Your team is…"

"The only thing between you and becoming a smear on the ground?" Seth answered and Conner grinned.

"Exactly. But more than that, they'll be your family. Seriously, I'm not joking," he said, nearly laughing at Seth's look. "Ethan, Kira, and I fought constantly until we learned how to work together and they're the best friends I could ever ask for. Kira is better than any girl I could have wanted and I think I'm closer to Ethan that to my own twin brother."

"Seriously?" Seth asked. "And you think I'll get that way with Ben?"

"It's a possibility," Conner said. "Maybe not, but you should still end up friends."

"That could be okay," Seth said, thinking about it. Conner grinned. Even if that was as far as he got that night, it was still better than where he was when the conversation started.

* * *

"And you're not worried about getting caught by Hayley or Billy?" Jera asked incredulously as she followed Ethan to their destination. "I mean, what if they ban you from all things electronic for a week."

"They won't and they won't catch us either. No one is focusing where we're going. Besides, I asked if you want Blue on Blue time and you said yes," he reminded her. "I'm just… picking the activity."

"Conner suggested it, huh?" She asked and Ethan shrugged.

"More encouraged. It _was _my idea," he assured her. "Besides, when you see this, you won't care how much trouble your get it. Trust me."

"What could be so great that… oh my god…" Jera said and her eyes widened as they entered the Zord area. "They're, uh, wow."

"Yeah. Aren't they great?" Ethan said excitedly. "Once I found out I was working on them, I just sat there and watched them for like an hour after I was done working. That's Aeris Gryphon, he's Tara's. That's the one we were fixing earlier."

The Zord took a look at them and turned his back to rest the other way, not bothering to acknowledge them. Jera gave Ethan a look. "Yeah, he'll be a big help."

"Well, he's not our Zord. He'll be fine with Tara," Ethan said. "Zords bond to their Ranger. Well, the animalistic ones do anyway."

"Okay," Jera said. "So, what about the other three?"

He pointed straight ahead and chuckled when she looked confused. "Hey! Mirinoi Dragon!"

What she had thought was simply a shed wall or something along that sort moved and shook until it was easy to see it. Just as Aeris, he was a definite replica of his mythical species, the European version. His head moved over to look at Jera and, unlike the less than pleasant Gryphon, nodded his head once. He shook himself off before walking a few feet and falling back to sleep. Plants seemed to move out of his way as he walked, making it so he stepped on nothing but grass before moving back into place.

"He's amazing!" Jera said. "What about mine?"

Ethan moved to the water edge and moved his hand through the water. To both the teens' amusement, he was splashed back. He moved his hand in the water again, and this time Jera saw something head toward the surface. Both moved out of the way as the Zord headed up and out of the water, flipping in the air before landing with a splash back in. Finally, it popped its head out of the water and puts its hooves on land, spraying them both with water one last time. "Jera, meet your Zord. Aquitar Hippocampus."

"Wow," Jera whispered. "He's mine?"

Ethan nodded, but quickly corrected his companion. "She, actually. She's playful, so watch out."

"I don't understand. Why is she so different from me?" Jera asked and Ethan shrugged.

"Probably a compliment thing, you know? She's playful, you're really not. She's content to follow, you're not. Aeris Gryphon, I call him A.G. for short, is prideful, Tara's not. He's extremely focused and business oriented. Well, Tara does what we ask of her…" Ethan said with a shrug. "And M.D. is actually pretty lazy and hardly remembers to finish a project, let alone get lost in one where Ben gets completely lost in his work."

"M.D., A.G., what's that make mine? Ahh?" Jera asked and Ethan laughed. "A.H. doesn't sound right."

"I agree," Ethan said. "I've been calling her A.C. Aquitar Campus. I think it works for her. Especially with what hippocampus meant."

"What did it mean?" Jera asked.

"Horse sea-monster pretty much," Ethan answered with a shrug.

"You took out the horse and left the monster in her name?" Jera asked horrified.

"It's meant affectionately," Ethan said, holding his hands up. "And she knows it, don't you, A.C.?"

The hippocampus slashed her massive tail down and nodded before turning her attention to Jera and splashing her as well. She let out a noise that sort of sounded like a horse before turning around and diving back into the water. Jera whistled and looked at Ethan. "What about Seth?"

"Over here," Ethan assured her and led her to an area that had a large, red bird sitting in it. "There she is. Kaldenor Phoenix. K.P."

Before Jera could say anything, the mighty zord leapt into the air, flying up a bit and bringing out her wings. She let out a noise that sounded like a hawk, her head looking upward. "It's almost like they're real."

"Well, most Zords feel that way," Ethan said and Jera saw the pain come to his eyes. "Which is why it was so hard when we lost ours."

Jera looked at him. "Conner mentioned something about you not handling that well."

"I think he feels bad because I haven't gotten over it as much. We literally sacrificed them, Jera. We hit the self-destruct. They weren't just machines, they had DNA. Maybe they weren't like the raptors, but they were still part of the family. Tricerazord was still there when I needed him."

They were both silent for a moment before Jera spoke. "The scars that all of you have. Do they ever heal?"

Ethan's smile was a little dark when he answered. "Zack was right. We're hoping one of you guys makes it as a psychiatrist because Rangers, on the whole, have issues. Guilt of not being able to save others, loss of teammates, remembrance of death, fear of being evil again, love to others in different times, pain of losing powers, fear of commitment… Like I said, we've got issues and it's not just me mourning over some Zords. Conner's messed up from nearly dying several times and nearly losing Kim. They're pretty close and I think that he blamed himself for her getting stuck on that ship. He blames himself for a lot of things. Kira, though she doesn't show it as much, is afraid of being alone. She spends a lot of time in our dorm and if her roommate's gone, we usually spend the night at Dr. Mercer's or Doctor O's so she's not alone."

"So, we're going to need a therapist by the time this is over?" She asked and he thought for a minute before shrugged.

"Maybe. Then again, you might be the normal one. Like Zack," he answered and she stared at him.

"Wait, Zack is the normal one?" She asked and he nodded. "The world is doomed."

* * *

"Umm… I'm Green," Ben said quietly, even raising his hand as he followed Tara and Kira out. When the elder Yellow had come in, she'd grabbed both of them instead of just Tara like Ethan had done with Jera and Conner with Seth. "I know that has yellow in it, but I'm not sure if I should be coming."

"Of course you're coming," Kira said. "You're not like Ethan, you're definitely not like Conner, so you're like me. Which means that you're going to be like Conner and have a female secondary mentor."

"Oh. Okay," he said slowly and her grin turned into a smirk.

"Unless you'd rather only have Doctor O," she said casually. "He was a green at one point."

"If it's okay with you, I'll stick with you guys," he answered quickly, not really caring if he fell in with Kira's plan. Tara grinned.

"That's great! It means that I get a mentor and a partner to share it with!" She exclaimed before frowning. "I've been trying with Seth and Jera, but it's not working. Being friends I mean. Sometimes I wonder if they even want more friends. And friends are a good thing to have, right?"

"I think you're getting distracted again, Tara," Ben whispered. Kira tried not to laugh. Jera and Seth might have been best friends, but they tended to fight like cats and dogs. Both insisted they were right and often times, they both were. It was just a matter of whose idea was slightly better. Tara and Ben were more distanced from the other two, but there was less fighting between them.

"Oh. Oops! So, where are we going?" Tara asked. "Is it going to be fun?"

"We're just going to go over a few things. When Conner, Ethan and I first became Rangers, Doctor O, Kim, and Hayley found themselves in a unique position. For the first time, they were able to teach each of us separately as well as in a group. Ethan and Hayley was an obvious one, but Kim took Conner while Doctor O took me. I didn't understand then why he did that, but now I do. I matched Doctor O and Conner matched Kim. We were more like them and we are all closer to our own mentor than to the other two. Not that it matters too much since we're all attached to each other. Well, Conner and I talked about it to decide if I should teach Seth while Conner taught you guys, but we decided against it this time. Especially with the lack of teamwork, we figured it might actually be better if lectures came from the same or, in your case Ben, a similar color," Kira explained. "Plus, he's hoping that I can help you both with standing up for what you want to say. I'm, uh, good at that."

"Okay," Tara agreed. She often agreed. "What are we going to learn about first? Huh?"

"Well, have you figured out typical colors?" She asked and Tara nodded.

"Blues are smart, like really smart," Tara answered proudly.

"A good number are, yes," she agreed. Ben raised his hand and Kira tried not to laugh. "You don't need to raise your hand."

"Sorry. Uh, Reds are the leaders. That one is easy," he said shyly.

"Yellows are mediators, right?" Tara asked hopefully and Kira smiled.

"Typically yes. Though that doesn't mean that they always have to keep the peace. They're quick to anger if it's important. There's only one male Yellow right now and that's Dustin so we don't really know how they're going to be on the whole yet," she explained. "Just like, other than Jera, there has only been one female blue."

"So, what about me?" Ben asked the question so quietly that Kira almost didn't hear him. She turned to look and smiled softly at him.

"Well, often Greens are a mix between Yellows and Blues. Like Blues, they're often clever about something or another but they're normally not as serious as the Blues. Whether they're sarcastic or quietly keeping everyone together, they seemingly have two 'jobs'," she explained. "And, in your case, like you did when Tara literally started to float off, you'll keep them grounded."

"Oh. So, I am important?" He asked and Kira sighed.

"Yes. You're important. Every member on the team is important. I think that's why they color code us the same every time. So that no one thinks they're not important. Yes, Reds do tend to get the most attention: in the media, to new Rangers, in general, but without us, they're nothing. Conner will be the first to tell you that he would have died without the rest of us helping him and besides, his mentor was a Pink. And she cut off Zeltrax' head."

"Really?" Ben asked and Tara looked a little grossed out.

"Eww."

"Yes, really. I wasn't there for it, but I heard the story. Trent, former white Ranger, is still afraid of her because she cut off his ear and shot him a few times with arrows when he was evil. They've sort of reconciled since he's been good, but there's still something there, you know?" She asked. "Look, in Ranger years, I'm a year old. I'm an assistant mentor so I don't know nearly as much as Doctor O or Kim or any of the others that have been doing this for over ten years. But, it's amazing what you learn in Ranger History 101."

"Do we have to take that?" Ben asked and Kira smiled warmly at him.

"You've already started to," she assured him.

* * *

"So, how'd the talk go?" Kira asked as they pulled out the junk food they'd gotten and took their seats around Ethan and Conner's dorm room. Ethan broke open the bags and set them in the center while Conner leaned back against the wall next to his bed. Conner and Kira had been back for a while, having had most of their conversation with their students during the day, but Ethan had had to wait until dark.

"Good. I've got issues," Ethan said decidedly. Conner tossed him a Snickers.

"We've all got issues," he reminded him. "You, me, Kira, Kim, especially Doctor O… and don't get me started on Trent."

"How is Trent?" Kira asked and Conner shrugged.

"Happy. He says he's coming for Christmas. He told me to tell you guys hi," Conner answered. Ethan shook his head.

"Why is it when he was here, you wanted to kill him, but when he left, you keep in the best contact with him other than Dr. Mercer?" Ethan asked and Conner shrugged again.

"Jealous?" He teased and at Ethan's look, he continued. "Kidding, kidding. Anyway, I thought it might be a good idea to keep up with the only other person in the world who has a Dino Power. I hate to say it, but we might need him someday. So, I keep up with him on his life and he keeps up on what's going on here."

"Does he know that's why you keep up with him?" Ethan asked and Conner nodded.

"Pretty sure. I said 'I'm keeping up with you in case we need you again', so I'd hope he's figured it out," Conner answered. "Neither of us really wanted it to be where we hadn't talked in six years and out of the blue, I'm calling to let him know bunnies are taking over the world."

"Bunnies?" Kira asked.

"It's an example."

"How do you know he'll come back?" Kira asked.

"He has to. Then again, by the time I'd be willing to call him, I'm not sure what he could do anyway. I think it's more of making us feel better. He wants to feel like he's doing something without doing anything super important and I'm being a good leaders by filling him in. It works," Conner answered, ignoring their looks. "So, why do you have issues this week?"

"The whole Zords thing. I thought I'd be over it by now," Ethan muttered. The other two nodded knowingly before turning back to their friend.

"Ethan, you're a geek. A huge geek. Maybe not as bad as Billy was, but you're pretty high up there," Conner started.

"Gee, thanks, Conner," Ethan snapped.

"No, wait, here me out. I liked the Zords, but you helped Hayley with them. You spent more time with them so of course you're going to miss them more," Conner continued. "It's normal. And it's not like we can replace it with a goldfish. Kira and I would be devastated if something happened to Yellow or Red."

Kira nodded. "Yeah. Besides, you were the most excited over the whole Ranger thing. 'My partners in crime fighting'. That's what you called us. And losing the Zords was like knowing that our turn was over."

"Yeah, now that it's over, I want it back," Conner complained. Both of his friends snickered a bit at that. "But seriously, being a Ranger is great, but part of it screws you up."

Kira moved over to sit by him and laid her head on his shoulders. "Conner, have you…?"

"Yeah. I have," Conner promised. "Are you going to say you don't want to be the Kim to my Doctor O because Ethan already used that one except with Jason instead of Kim."

"That's sweet, Ethan," Kira said, smiling at their third friend who shrugged. "Wow. A little over a year ago, I hated both of you."

"Back at you, Kira," both boys chorused. She reached over at threw a pillow at Ethan while gently hitting her boyfriend in the arm as both of them grinned. They hadn't missed a beat on that one. Still, she continued.

"And now, I don't know what I'd do with you," she answered. Ethan pretended to sigh and threw the pillow back to Conner who caught it.

"You want to spend the night again, huh?" Ethan asked and she nodded. "Figured. How do you two fit on that bed?"

Kira gave him a knowing look as she cuddled with Conner. "Carefully."

* * *

"Is it your turn or mine to do the dishes?" Tommy asked as he took them into the kitchen. Both of them had had an extremely quiet dinner and he was trying to change that a bit as he cleaned off the table. It wasn't like he didn't enjoy talking to Kim, but neither of them wanted to upset the other and they'd been doing that over the past few days, ever since Conner and Ethan returned.

"Yours," came the quick response. "I'm going to go read."

"Kim! Wait!" Tommy started and she turned around to look at him. "Do you blame me?"

"Blame you for what?" She asked, curiously but also incredulously.

"Conner and Ethan. Do you blame me?" He asked. She paused for a minute and he nearly slammed the dishes down in frustration. "You do, don't you?"

"I blame us." He almost missed her response. Considering how vocal his fiancé was, it was unusual for her to be so quiet, but this time she was. He turned away from the dishes and back toward her.

"Us?" He asked and she nodded. "Why?"

"Oh come on, Tommy. Scorpina wouldn't have bothered with them if she hadn't noticed we were connected with them. We put them in danger," she answered. "And not just this time, but we left the gems out, you accidentally convinced them to take them, I convinced them to stay, so yeah. I blame us."

"They didn't have to stay," Tommy argued. "They could have left."

Kim rolled her eyes. "No, they couldn't. Those gems would have called them back. But I convinced them to stay of their own will instead. It was easy for us to do this when they didn't have faces. When I didn't go to their games, performances, or learn how to play video games. It was easy when I didn't have to worry if they'd make it back this time."

"Kim…" he started, reaching for her but she pulled away. Tears were starting to come to her eyes as she spoke.

"It was easy when I wasn't looking at his face, trying to be brave but scared out of his mind. He was helpless and he was torn between wanting me to come save him or keeping the new Rangers safe. God, Tommy. We could have lost them," she whispered. "Because she wanted us."

Tommy reached for her again and this time she went, crying into his shirt. "That's why you said no again, wasn't it?"

"I'm happy for Billy and Trini and Jason. And eventually I'll be happy for Zack," she answered. "But we were supposed to get time off and something happened. Destiny has it in for us, Tommy. She doesn't want the others to be primary mentors," Kim answered and he sighed.

"Kim, it's coincidental, okay?" He told her. "Next time…"

"It will be us again," she answered. "Except we won't have anything to work with."

"We'll figure something out," Tommy pushed. "Maybe in a few years…"

"Maybe," she whispered back. "But I don't want to feel like this anymore. It's bad enough with Conner, Ethan, and Kira. What's going to happen if I have a child of my own?"

Tommy sighed again. "Probably nothing more than what you feel now, Kim. But we'll wait."

* * *

"Was Ethan surprised?" Neen asked as her father tried, for a third time, to tuck her in. He sighed, but nodded.

"Affirmative," he answered. "Hayley said that both Kira and he were extremely surprised."

"Did his eyes get big? They do that," Neen said, causing her father to have to try a fourth time.

"I am sure they did. Will you settle down if I bring Hayley in to tell you?" He asked and Neen's eyes grew bigger.

"She is here? Hayley!" Neen called and Billy held his head. He felt Hayley's hand touch his shoulder.

"She's having one of those nights?" Hayley asked and Billy nodded. "Alright. Neen, come on. Lay down and stay there."

"Do it, Hayley. Please?" Neen begged and Hayley smiled knowing how much the child loved to watch her use the knowledge that she seemed to have. Even Tommy wasn't sure how she knew so much about everyone.

"Alright. Let's see… Ethan enjoyed the Zords so much that he decided to show Jera them so now both of them are excited, Conner talked things over with Seth so they should be getting along better now, and Kira made Tara and Ben feel better. Kira, Ethan, and Conner are sitting in their dorm room talking about their day and mentor stuff. Auntie Kim and Uncle Tommy are talking about why you're not going to have a little cousin from them anytime soon. Dr. Mercer and Elsa are, hopefully, asleep. Auntie Trini and Uncle Jason are resting and talking about baby names and Zack's… being Zack. And Daddy is about to go nuts from you getting up every twenty seconds."

"Okay. Sorry, Papa," Neen said and made sure to stay down. "Hayley, how do you know?"

Hayley grinned at her while Billy rest his hands on her shoulders. "I'm Hayley. I know everything."

**

* * *

**

**Author's Notes:** Sorry about last week. We're doing some crazy stuff at work so I've been getting home and just being tired. I barely have time to keep up writing for NaNoWriMo sometimes, but I still feel bad about the lack of chapter. Still, here's a nice new one and you guys did get the Halloween side story, so I hope that makes up for it.

I had two favorite parts for this chapter: One was the talk between Kim and Tommy. I tried to keep it as real as I could, using married couples I've been around as examples. Fortunately, couples I've been around have never had something that serious happen to them though. So, I did my best.

The other part was the end. Was I the only one who was impressed by Hayley? I figure that knowing about Conner and Kira was due to Tommy, but Ethan implied that she does it with everyone. Yes, I spent half the series wondering about that. I've gotten it down to: lots of cameras set up around the dinosaurs, Tommy's house, and her café (all for safety purposes), access to confidential files that she probably shouldn't have, and a good network of people willing to talk to her. Not to mention just good instincts about people. Still, it was something I figured Neen would find amusing, like a game. In ten years when she's trying to date, it probably won't be as much amusement for her.

Thank you for the reviews from the past chapter and the Halloween Fic. I appreciated all of them.


	7. Red Raptorball

**Chapter 7: Red Raptorball**

Kira put her hands on her hips and faced the two men outside of the house with a piercing stare. Both Ethan and Conner looked over her shoulder and shrugged, showing there was little they could do against their annoyed friend. "So, you got the day off and you came here?" Kira asked, quickly deciding she needed to be more polite. "Not that we're not happy to see you, but why did you come here?"

Conner and Ethan snickered at her response as they ushered the guests into their mentors' house. Kim was working, Tommy was teaching, and they'd had the day off. All three of them had found out that some classes only went two days a week and they'd all grabbed those classes to get Friday completely off. Unfortunately, Kim, Tommy, and Hayley had decided that that gave them the perfect opportunity for them to take over watch duty, putting each of the Dino Thunder Rangers' turns one right after the other. Still, free food and hanging out there was something they'd probably end up doing anyway, so it wasn't so bad. Besides, the raptors made it far more amusing.

It also meant that they were in charge of the house, which all three of them liked the idea of and that meant that they had no qualms about letting the two men in the house. Instead of shutting the door like Kim might have done, once again less because she disliked them, and more out of a fear of doom to come. Conner, on the other hand, shrugged and gave them an apologetic smile, motioning toward Kira. "I don't think she's quite forgiven you guys for helping Doctor O and Jason last summer."

The elder of the two men gave the younger one, who looked embarrassed, a look. "I told you it was a bad idea."

"Well, Cole agreed to it," the other muttered. The older one gave him a new piercing look. "I know, bad example. Seriously, though. We're not here to help them escape, they didn't call us, and we're not in trouble."

"Only Reds have to make that pledge," Ethan whispered to Conner, who elbowed him in order to quiet him down. Just because he was right didn't mean Conner wanted to hear it. It was still his color after all even if he tended to abandon it at the first sign of any Red Mission.

"Right, so why are you here?" Conner asked, joining his girlfriend's question before anything else derogatory toward him came out of his teammates' mouths. Not wanting a long answer, he quickly changed his question. "Wait, Eric, why are you guys here?"

"Raptorball," was all the Quantum Ranger answered with. All three younger Rangers blinked a few times. Conner had wanted a quick answer, but that was ridiculous.

"Raptorball?" Ethan asked and Eric's look passed on to the former Blue Ranger who quickly added so that Eric's piercing look didn't kill him. "I mean, what about Raptorball?"

"We want to play it," Wes explained. "We've heard about it, but we haven't had a chance to try it out. Tommy and Jason were bragging about it."

"Oh sure," Conner said in annoyance. "We come up with the idea, have to rely on Zack to push the idea through, and now they're off bragging. That's fair."

"So, where do we play?" Eric asked, ignoring Conner's outburst. The younger Ranger might have taken offense to it if he hadn't already known that the elder Ranger treated everyone the same way. Jason had assured him that it was possible to get along with the stoic Ranger, but time had a lot to do with it as well as winning respect. Still, this was Doctor O's house and at least one of the raptors wasn't theirs.

"See, there's a problem," Conner said as the other two stood behind him to back him up. "Blue, Yellow, and Red are ours. Not that it even matters about Red because he's not a friendly raptor to too many people, but still. We're able to say 'Hey, yeah, if they'll let you on their backs, go for it.' But Black is Doctor O's. So, until he gets home, we can't say if you can or not."

"When will he be back?" Wes asked and Conner glanced at the clock before shrugging.

"It depends on if he got detention this week or not."

* * *

For the first time in his short teaching career, Tommy wished he would have had detention. He was still two seconds away from running to Elsa and begging her to let his switch weeks with whoever had it. Anything would have been better that to get home with Jason on his heels. "You have to go home sometime or she'll come here." 

"Aww, don't tell me you're afraid of my wife," Jason teased and Tommy shook his head before shivering.

"She's pregnant and already insane at times. I'd rather face Scorpina, alone, handcuffed, than your wife furious right now," Tommy answered. "And if you had any sense, you'd feel the same way."

"I have sense," Jason brought up, which caused his friend to roll his eyes. "That's why I'm here."

"Hey Doctor O. Hey Jason," Ethan, Kira, and Conner chorused without looking up from their various activities. None of them seemed inclined to tell their mentor that he had visitors. Nor were any of them paying any attention to the monitors.

"Guys, when I said watch for trouble, I meant _watch_ for trouble," Tommy scolded. Conner shrugged.

"Ethan says the alarm will go off," he answered.

"And?" Tommy asked waiting for the rest of the explanation.

"He's a Blue. It'll go off," Conner answered. Before his mentor could get anymore words in which they weren't going to like or assigned them to training until they were fifty, he quickly changed the subject. "Hey, Doctor O? How do you feel about a rousing game of Raptorball?"

"We're playing Raptorball?" Conner turned and grinned as Seth asked the question, followed downstairs by his teammates. The younger man took turns looking both excited and a little frightened. Conner nodded.

"Well, you and I are," he answered. "Since I missed out on Red bonding…"

"You had a note! You ditched!" Tommy exclaimed. "It's not like I forgot you! I chased you down and you handed me a note, written by your mentor and my fiancé, excusing you from fighting."

"And who was enjoying Kim's cookies while you were getting chewed out and Jason was getting pummeled? Oh, that's right. Me. Which reminds me, Rocky says you can't have the next Red Mission until I'm 21. He wants me to come with next time," Conner stated calmly, folding his arms and looking a bit smug. Tommy glared at him.

"It's not like I plan for these things, Conner. They just sort of happen," Tommy growled. Jason snickered and Tommy turned on him. "I hope your kid is just like him."

Conner and his two teammates both cracked up at that as Jason pretended to be worried for one minute before shrugging it off. "At least I know he'll be somewhere safe where his mother can't strangle him."

"What if it's a girl?" Kira asked and Jason shrugged.

"Then she'll probably be like her mom and I've got nothing to worry about," he answered. "So, where did this need to play Raptorball come from?"

"Doctor O, don't be mad," Conner started and Tommy groaned.

"This isn't going to end well," he muttered and turned to Seth. "Have I already told you to do the opposite of Conner when he's like this?"

"Yep," Seth answered.

"Good. Continue, Conner," Tommy said, ignoring the look the teen in question gave him.

"Anyway, we let some people into your house. Two actually and they wanted to play," he said quickly. "They're outside with the raptors. Well, with Blue and Yellow anyway."

Tommy and Jason both shrugged at each other, knowing that Conner wouldn't be stupid enough to let an actual threat in the house, and headed out followed by the seven younger Rangers. Both of them blinked a couple of times as they watched Eric and Wes practicing on the two raptors. Tommy glanced at Jason who glanced back at Eric and Wes. Both of them grinned and turned to the Time Force Rangers. "You two ready for some competition or do you think you need to keep practicing?" Jason asked.

"About time you showed up," Eric said gruffly. "So, you ready?"

"Seth and I play the winner!" Conner called out. "You guys can go first."

"Umm…" Seth said half-way quietly. "Who's going to ride Red?"

The raptor lifted his head and looked over, not seeming pleased by the question. He glanced at Conner who looked at the others. "Let me talk to him," he said and headed over. "Red, we're having a sort of a contest and we need all of you to do it. As long as he's respectful about it, do you think you could let Jason on your back? Please?"

He petted the side of the raptor affectionately as Red thought about it. On one hand, he didn't like anyone who wasn't Conner or Kim riding him. It was the way he was. On the other, he did enjoy Raptorball as much as the Rangers did and the first red human wouldn't be foolish enough to try it outside of the game. After a minute, the raptor bobbed his head once and bumped Conner with his head. "Okay, Jason. Come here."

Jason did as he was told and looked at Red. "Just for the game, okay, Red?" He asked and the raptor bobbed again before standing still so that Jason could get on his back. "Thanks."

Tommy quickly climbed aboard Black so that Red wouldn't get annoyed by being the only one on their side with a rider and Ethan stood in the middle. "As a non-representative of either side and a different color, I call being referee," he said.

Eric looked a little suspicious at that. "Aren't you Tommy's student?"

"Trust me. That will only make it better for you," Ethan assured him and Wes laughed at that while Tommy glared at the boy. Ethan ignored it and threw the ball into the air before ducking to the side lines.

Black leapt higher than the others and Tommy was able to grab the wall and successfully go over Wes and Blue at the same time. Jason and Red hurried after while Eric and Yellow had closed the gap. Tommy threw it back to Jason, before he could get hurt by the moving rule while Jason urged Red to make a distance rather than height jump. The other raptor did so and landed close to the basket. Jason went for the shot and Eric took it from them in a rather good catch.

The teens had taken to cheering for their own raptor rather than any Ranger team while the quartet just cheered on everyone. So, Kira and Ethan were cheering on one side and Conner on the other. The raptors, enjoying the attention, tended to do things to make themselves look better in the eyes of their human. The trio laughed at the antics, especially Black who wanted to look just as good and nearly threw Tommy off his back at one point trying to do so. That said, those riding the raptors weren't doing much better as they shoved off but trying to shoot baskets from further away and doing outrageous dunks.

"Do they realize they're acting like teenagers?" Kira asked and both boys shrugged. "I didn't think so either."

The game ended an hour later, though all four were still thrilled. The raptors didn't even look tired as they raced around, which caused the trio to realize that they probably just wanted a break when they had 'needed' to lie down. It made them laugh. The score was 30 to 26 in Tommy and Jason's favor. All of them were laughing and joking by the end of it and Conner stood up next to Seth. "Come on, Newbie, our turn," he said. Seth didn't look insulted by the nickname anymore, since it was more affectionate than cruel.

Both of them took a raptor: Conner on Red and Seth on Blue. Jason shrugged and took Yellow. They stood ready and this time, Eric and Wes were the referees, though they'd have to ask Ethan and Kira for specific rules if they weren't sure. Still, it was about as fair as they were going to manage to get considering that those two were the only excess members not to have a teammate on the court. Tommy looked at the two younger and eager Rangers. "You do remember that I trained you, right?"

Conner grinned, ignoring the panicked look on his partner's face. "You do remember I came up with the idea and co-created this game, right? Besides, Red doesn't nearly throw me off his back every two seconds."

Jason shrugged. "He's got you there, Tommy."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's play," Tommy grumbled. While Red had done well with Jason, Conner was his partner and they had come to know the others strengths and weaknesses. The raptor was able to shine as they played, doing things that Conner knew he was capable of, but that Jason hadn't even thought to try. It was a rather exciting game.

At one point, Conner took the ball, threw it to Seth, had Red leap onto the back of the basket, caught the throw and tossed it in the air. Red reached out and smacked it down with his tail into the basket. The referees, including Kira and Ethan, had to actually sit and talk about whether or not it was legal for a raptor to hit the ball. It was deemed a safe basket when Ethan reminded Wes and Eric that it would be nearly impossible to not let the raptors touch the ball at all. Thus, new rules were born that raptors could touch and pass the ball with their tails, but could not hold it in their mouth. Everyone seemed happy with that.

At another point, Jason threw the ball to Tommy who had to have Black leap off one of the baskets in order to catch it. He flew over Seth and landed close to the other basket, throwing it in quickly before Conner caught up. The points tallied up, one right after the other. By the end of it, the score was 46 to 43 in Conner and Seth's favor. The two younger Rangers yelled with delight and their teammates squealed, hollered, or cheered along with their friends. Tommy and Jason both looked beaten, but familiar arms wrapped around them before they could get too upset.

"It was a good game, Handsome," Kim whispered in his ear.

"You were close," Trini agreed, resting her chin on Jason's shoulder. "Very close."

"When did you two get here?" Tommy asked and glanced over at Trini. "I told him to go home."

"I know," Trini assured him, still just holding her husband. She'd get angry later if she thought it was worth it. Getting beaten by the youngest Reds seemed punishment enough in her mind, though. Kim looked at Tommy.

"In the middle of the first game," she answered. "We thought we'd wait. Eric and Wes saw us."

Tommy turned on the other two Reds who shrugged it off. Eric looked a little smug, while Wes turned back to congratulate his youngest incarnations not really thinking it was that big of a deal. Jason laughed and shrugged. "We had fun, right?"

Before Tommy could answer, he was interrupted. "Then I hope he's willing to have more fun."

"T.J.?" Tommy asked, surprised to see the other. His surprise increased when he saw who was with the Turbo Ranger. "Andros? What are you two doing here? How did you know?"

Both men motioned over to a smirking Hayley who shrugged. "I thought everyone else might want to watch too. Then the girls and I had a thought. All of you are constantly going off on missions with each other that are only Red…"

"Twice, Hayley. Twice," Tommy reminded her, but Hayley ignored him.

"That we wanted a real Red challenge," she finished. "So, once I set it up…"

"We're not too late, are we?" Rocky asked, leading the way. Cole, Carter, and Leo were on his tail. "We asked Aurico if he wanted to come, but he said no thanks. He's just going to watch. Is everyone here?"

Conner looked them over and shook his head, noticing that while everyone Tommy and Jason had worked with were there, there were still two missing. "Not yet."

"Sorry we're late!" Another voice called out. "It took us a few minutes to talk Tori into letting us borrow the van."

Hunter and Shane stood there, the final two, ready to go. Conner nodded. "Now we're all here. So, I take it Seth and I are defending our title?"

Rocky grinned. "You got it, Conner. This is a Red only thing I can get into. So, what are the teams?"

Jason shrugged. "Andros and T.J. are a given. Leo and Carter would probably be a good one since they've worked with each other twice. So, that leaves Cole, Rocky, and I'm not sure what your names are."

"Shane," the ninja answered. "Red Wind Ranger. This is Hunter, Crimson Thunder Ranger."

"The Ninja Rangers," Tommy agreed. "I take it you two would like to be a team?"

They both nodded and Jason looked at Rocky. "That leaves you with Cole. Are you two fine with that?"

Cole was nodding up a storm and Rocky shrugged. "Don't see why not. Now let's play!"

* * *

Using holograms, Hayley set up the rest of the area so that their teammates could watch and look like they were there. To make it easier, they were split into two sides, though they made sure that those from a split team, such as Leo and Carter, had both teams cheering on the same side. She also made sure that Time Force and Wild Force were on the same side for Eric and Taylor. 

As before, there were spectacular games. Almost everyone had heard about the game and read up on the rules before they came. The newest rule was explained, though it was mostly so that the raptors couldn't try anything. There were baskets made, cheers radiating through the stands and the games were knocked down to a 30 minute time period for the sake of the raptors, who didn't seem to slow down.

Red was an extremely good sport as he allowed the red Rangers on his back and played a good game. Conner and Kim both soothed him afterward, telling him how good he was about it while the other Reds helped whichever red Ranger who had been riding him up. Red was nice enough to let them ride him for the game. If they weren't off his back before the score was called, he threw them off. Literally. It was going very well up until Rocky and Cole's turn happened.

Leo and Carter hadn't had the best of luck during their games. They weren't bad at all, but they weren't quite as good as some of the companions. Not that they'd minded, but for the last game, they seemed determined to beat Rocky and Cole. Leo and Carter quickly chose their raptors first: Yellow and Black, which left Rocky and Cole with Red and Blue. Unfortunately, considering that Rocky had been both of those colors, Cole didn't think he'd mind taking Blue. He was right, except for the fact that Rocky had been around Red longer and the lead raptor was starting to lose his patience. Besides, it just made sense that he took Red if he'd been around the fussy raptor more often.

"Cole, take Blue. I know Red. It'll be better this way," Rocky insisted, but Cole would have none of it.

"I can handle him. I'll just talk to him. He'll work with me," Cole answered and Rocky shook his head.

"No he won't. Red's the alpha. He only likes two people: Kim and Conner. The first is like his alpha and the second is his partner. He doesn't necessarily like me, but I know how to not piss him off. I don't think you know what you're getting into," Rocky pushed. He knew had it been Jason or Tommy, they would have already told Cole no, but Rocky wasn't his friends. He was more passive than they were and wanted to give Cole a change to understand on his own. Conner had already come over, willing to help his older friend.

"Rocky's right, Cole. I think Red doesn't mind him as much as other Reds," Conner said, rubbing the raptor's side. The dinosaur nudged his partner gently, not paying a lot of a attention to what was going on. "And I've seen what happens if he doesn't like someone. Seth still won't go near him."

"The others have been riding him," Cole argued. Conner shrugged.

"Barely. He threw them off his back!" he reminded him, knowing this wasn't going to end well and wondering, for the umpteenth time, why Reds were so stubborn. He glanced at Kim for help, but she put her hands up, not about to get involved in this. Conner nearly sighed at that, having forgotten his mentor's view of learning from experience. They'd keep Red from killing him. Finally Conner shrugged. "You know what? Your funeral. Just take Blue, Rocky. She likes you anyway."

Rocky shrugged and got on Blue, who was trying to nudge him anyway into riding her, while Leo and Carter got on the other two. They waited as Cole looked at Red. "I'm Cole and you are?"

_Bored with talk._ Red chirped, going back to ignoring the Ranger in front of him. Cole was trying to tell him about what he'd done as a Ranger, but Red ignored him, barely letting the talkative Ranger on his back. Obviously the young man wasn't getting that he didn't want to be partners, he wanted him off his back as quickly as possible and the best way to achieve that was by playing the game. It wasn't until Cole compared him with Red Lion that the raptor did anything.

Conner winced. "Please tell me that he didn't just say that," he asked, looking at Tommy. His mentor held the same look.

"I wish I could, Conner. You warned him," he reminded the boy. "Just… make sure Red doesn't kill him. Better yet, Kim, make sure Red doesn't kill him."

"I'll try," his fiancé answered. "But…"

"I know."

Red's body crouched and he leapt in the air, moving his body so that Cole fell off into the dirt. _Zord?! You think I'm like a Zord?! Nobody has to help me fight!_

"Maybe not, but he was willing to use teamwork," Cole told him. Red paused doing anything as the Ranger climbed back on.

_That's it._ He chirped, loudly and angrily so that everyone could hear him. Blue, Black and Yellow headed over to him, waiting to see what was going on. It didn't take them long to figure it out. Blue was the first to respond.

_Red…_ Blue tried. _Little more than a hatchling._

_He said the Zord was better. He thinks he can control me! _Red answered. Blue nudged him gently, the way only she could.

_I don't think he meant it that way._ She assured him and Red puffed himself up, looking at Cole.

_I've put up with a lot today, but this human is nothing like mine._ Red snapped. His Conner wasn't stupid enough to compare him to a Zord. His Conner was smart enough to figure out what he wanted without being able to understand his chirps all the time. His Conner had worked hard to get Red to agree that they were partners and, like Red, backed down to the Alpha, Kim. At least the other Red humans had been quiet.

_So, what now?_ Yellow asked dragging Red out of his thoughts, knowing full well that Cole could hear everything they said and deciding to cut into Red's rant before they wasted the rest of the day. Red paused for a minute and Blue was certainly he was going to attack Cole which they weren't supposed to let him do. All of them looked at each other, trying not to look too worried about trying to stop the larger and head raptor until Red finally answered, sounding a little calmer. At least, calm enough where he wasn't going to go into a murderous rage.

_You go. I stay. Have fun._ Red answered and stood perfectly still. Black leapt in the air.

_Alright! Let's go, let's go, let's go!_ He chirped. The twins followed, though they looked a little more apprehensive about it, as Red looked at Cole.

_Tell them I'm not playing._ Red instructed Cole. Cole tried to protest, but the red raptor wouldn't move. Cole had to admit what Red had said. The other Rangers tried to figure out what to do next with Hayley coming up with the only decent idea as she turned to Rocky.

"We can try to sort this out," she offered. "What if you two switch?"

Kim and Conner shook their heads. "Red won't go for that. He might go with Rocky on his back, but he'll order the other raptor to sit on the sidelines," Kim explained. "I'm not sure how to fix this."

Rocky shrugged. "I'll play alone. Blue and I might not win, but we'll put up a fight, won't we, Girl? She'll still play, won't she, Cole?"

Cole looked at Blue who looked at Red who bobbed his head. _I can still play with red-blue human._ Her tone changed for a moment as she looked directly at Cole sounding scolding. _Hatchling needs to lean manners or Hatchling doesn't play._

Cole looked upset, but he nodded. "She'll play."

It was a massacre. While Blue wasn't a bad raptor, Yellow knew all of her tricks and Black's ability to jump higher worked in their favor. Rocky tried to do it and they even fudged the rules so that he could toss it to himself as long as if was possible for the others to get it, but without two raptors, especially Red, Rocky didn't stand a chance. They came in last place, with Conner and Seth as the continued champions, though everyone agreed that he played extremely well for doing it on his own. Blue was nudging him herself, trying to make sure he wasn't upset to which Rocky was grinning and telling her how well she did. Once it was over, Red threw off Cole once again and headed over to the other raptors. He made sure they were alright and headed over to Kim and Conner, looking eager for attention.

Both of them looked scolding, though Conner let Kim handle it. "Red! That wasn't very nice."

Red chirped solemnly at her and tried to look apologetic, though it wasn't working very well. He was proud of himself for it. He hadn't attacked him, tried to bit him, or even thrown him that hard. Yet, they were still displeased. Conner pointed to Rocky. "You didn't just make Cole lose. You made Rocky lose too."

Red did feel a little bad about that. He didn't mind the hungry human. In fact, compared to all of the other red Rangers, he was the one to remind Red the most of his partner. He chirped over toward Rocky who turned around to look at him as he petted Blue to assure her he was fine. Red chirped again and let it go into a more sorrowful tone. "Hey, Red. Are you okay?"

"He's sorry," Conner explained. "He feels bad for making you lose."

Rocky shrugged. "It happens. Besides, Blue and I did pretty well for it being two on one."

Red bobbed his head, quickly nudged Rocky with his head and turned back to Conner and Kim. Both of them looked a little impressed. "Wow, Rocky, he nudged you."

"I noticed," Rocky answered, petting the raptor. "I'm honored."

If Red would have been human, he would have grinned at that. Yes, he might only want Kim and Conner on his back, but as far as humans went, at least this one was intelligent about it. Perhaps the next time they had a contest, he'd offer to let this one on him. Just for the game, of course.

* * *

"So, why didn't Cam, Hunter, and Blake come?" Conner asked, trying to remember names the best that he could. Hayley's holographic communicator had been left on and separated to allow some of the younger members to talk to one another. Yet, the other three members had decided against coming to which Conner especially was disheartened. Tori answered before either boy could open their mouth. 

"Blake is on tour. He's practicing. Hunter had to get back since his sensei is a little more strict than ours. Cam is working on something or another and is taking our time distracted by you to get some more done. And no offense, Conner, but he had to deal with your brother. You're identical," Tori reminded him. Conner winced at that. He hadn't been lying when he had told the others before when they asked who the smarter was. He was also the one with better manners.

"Got it," he answered and turned his attention to their other two guests. "I take it Cole is still sulking?"

Danny nodded. "Taylor said we should come anyway though because he was stupid enough to do it. I didn't want to make her angrier."

"Why did he say something like that?" Kira asked. "I thought he was supposed to be good with hearts and stuff."

"Well…" Danny started, but he was cut off by Max.

"He is. Usually. I guess that he just messed up. It happens to everyone, right?" He asked and the others nodded. Seth shivered.

"He got lucky. I was nearly torn apart," he said quietly. All of them looked over at Seth for that. "Conner and Kim stopped him."

Conner shrugged. "He's not known for his patience," he answered. "Sorry, Guys."

Both Wild Force Rangers shrugged, not sure what else to say, none of them were sure really. It had been Ethan, Kira, and Conner's idea to do this. They'd seen the friendships between the other teams and it hadn't taken them long to figure out that especially the Ninja Storm, Dino Thunder, and Planetary Rangers were just a different generation than their older counterparts. They'd figured that out at the impromptu reunion from when Kim and Conner had been trapped. After that, along with the technology, they'd called for a holographic get together for the younger Rangers and had invited Danny and Max along since they were truly able to fit into either category, especially Danny. Max was probably their generation considering he was younger,but Danny spent so much time with him that he's immediately agreed to follow his younger friend. All of their planning had led to them all sitting there to talk. The only problem was, none of them were sure of what to talk about.

"You know," Ethan finally said, finding a subject that he hoped would work. "We know that we all got our powers, but to be honest, I'm not sure how you guys did."

"A princess," Max answered, shrugging. "We were all called, we showed up, we got powers. One at a time. Right, Danny? Right. So, yeah. That's ours. What about you guys?"

Shane, Tori, and Dustin all looked at little embarrassed, but Dustin shrugged it off quicker. "Well, we were late to class again and this dude, Lother, attacked our school, right? So, we went underground and our mentor who was a guinea pig gave us the morphers. It was all prophesized and stuff, but, dude, I seriously thought he only did it because we were the only ones left."

"He did," Tori said. "It just happened to go along with the prophesy. That's what Cam thinks anyway."

"What about you?" Shane asked, quickly changing the subject. Never mind the fact that they'd been looked at strangely when the guinea pig was mentions, but just being the last choice was an embarrassment. Still, when he looked at Dino Thunder, he had the feeling that theirs was worse just by the way they were acting. The three looked at each other, not wanting to tell.

"It was your game," Conner muttered to Ethan who shrugged.

"Maybe. But you're our fearless leader. So, fearlessly lead," Ethan teased, doing everything possible to get out of it. Kira nodded in agreement, though she did kiss his cheek. Conner sighed, knowing someone had to admit it.

"Fine. We all had detention. Kira was playing music, Ethan used a computer to soak everyone with a sprinkler, and I sort of ditched class to play soccer. Our science teacher, who of course had to be the longest serving Ranger, was put in charge of said detention. He said if we found something prehistoric, we were off the hook for the week. So, we sort of broke into the lair, not knowing it was his and by accident since we sort of fell in a big hole and we took the gems, rushing out before the owner got there. Then we found out they gave us superpowers," Conner said, not sure what else to add. Even he knew just from how it sounded that they hadn't exactly done the right thing even if it ended well but they'd known that anyway. They had just really, really wanted out of detention. At the other Rangers looks, he looked a bit indignant. "What? And getting them handed over by a rodent is any better?"

"Hey! That's our sensei!" Dustin argued back.

"We've been told to look up to you guys and you _stole_ the gems?" Seth demanded, his eyes wide. So that was why Doctor Oliver often told him not to follow Conner's way of doing things to the letter.

"We never said we were always good little Rangers. We didn't think it was such a big deal until we got the super powers. And, not that this will make it better, we also broke into Doctor O's house and refound the lab when we lost Kira. We were looking for Doctor O to help us get her back. We went back and we took responsibility for everything. Dammit, we were good Rangers!" Conner answered, arms folded across his chest. Kira and Ethan backed him up, knowing how testy their leader got over his team. Each of them had a hand on one of his shoulders.

"You do realize that teams after you are going to look up to you guys, right?" Shane asked and Conner nodded.

"We've been told. We've also figured out that what future teams don't know, doesn't affect us," he said carefully before using an example. "Look at how you guys treat Jason. And Doctor O. And Trini. And Kim. And Billy. And Zack. It's like hero worship."

"And you don't?" Tori asked, sounding a little suspicious. Ethan shook his head.

"Not very much anymore. We still look up to them, admire them, and like for them to spend time with us, but there's not hero worship anymore," he answered.

"Why?" Jera asked. Kira answered that.

"We're family. Somewhere along the line, Doctor O and Kim became second parents to us. Jason and Trini are like an aunt and uncle who are cool, but know when to chew you out. Same with Billy and Zack, though Billy is much more stern about things. Zack's like the cool uncle who teaches you what you want when your parents' backs are turned. They're just people," she answered.

"Zack's awesome. Just thought I'd throw that in," Conner quickly added. "Without Zack, there would be no Raptorball and we wouldn't be having this conversation. And _you_ were worried."

As he said it, he glanced at Kira who rolled her eyes. "Of course I was worried. How often do you and Ethan come up with a plan that works?"

"And once again, I say we were told to look up to you guys because…?" Seth asked. Conner's expression became serious and hard. The others looked a little surprised at that other than Kira and Ethan who didn't seem phased.

"Because we did a lot of shit in our time as Rangers. And we stayed even after we lost our Ranger powers. We had powers, so we stayed because none of them do," Conner said. They all paused a moment as they took the realization in. Dustin was the first to answer.

"Dude. He's right. Other than Danny and Max, sorry dudes, no one has powers but us. Well, Wes and Eric can morph, and so can the others every so often, but no one else has natural powers," Dustin said. Conner nodded.

"Exactly. Super speed, super strength and hard skin, Pterascream, two of us have the powers of air, or wind, earth, and water. And one even has fire. So, you guys teach at the academy and we teach new Rangers. With great power comes great responsibility," Conner said wisely. Dustin grinned.

"Dude," he agreed. "So, is there a Spiderman?"

"What?" Tori demanded and Dustin shrugged.

"I told you guys that there were Power Rangers and you told me I'd read too many comics. But they were real. So, is Spiderman real?" Dustin asked excitedly and Ethan's eyes lit up.

"It's possible," he answered, taking that in. "We'd have to go to New York to see."

Conner quickly cut in. "Guys, Trent is in New York. I'm sure he'd tell us if he'd noticed Spiderman swinging around."

As both of their excitement died, Conner started to feel bad. He quickly ran through his mind and thought clearly for a minute, not willing to let Ethan down. "But that doesn't mean all superheroes aren't. We're not everywhere."

Dustin and Ethan went back to discussing that while the others shook their head. Kira gently smacked her boyfriend. "Conner, we have to live with him."

"Yep," Conner said. "But I'd rather he was a happy Ethan than a depressed one. Besides, we'll distract him with video games."

"Good plan," Kira agreed, already thinking of which ones to put in front of him.

"You guys do this often, huh?" Max asked. The rest of the Dino Thunder and Wind Rangers nodded. "Wow."

"It's not so bad," Conner said with a shrug. "At least he doesn't wake me up anymore to try to explain what his big idea is. That annoyed me. I don't understand what he says when I'm awake and he'd trying to explain quantum physics when I'm half-asleep."

"He woke you up?" Tori asked and Conner nodded.

"All the time. We're roommates," he answered and sighed as he smiled a bit. "And he's my best friend."

"I understand that," Seth said with Tara nodding. "It's like listening to Jera talk about cars and engines or Ben talk about plants. We might not always know what they're talking about, sorry guys, but it's part of the whole friend thing."

"Listening to Kira's music," added Conner. "It's not something I would have done as much if she wasn't my girlfriend. I'd still go and listen, but I probably wouldn't make sure to leave that time completely free like I do now."

"Going to Conner's soccer games," Kira added, kissing her boyfriend's cheek.

"Driving the boys everywhere," Tori added which made all of them look a little sheepish.

"Trying to learn how to surf," Shane mentioned, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Trying to follow Tara's thoughts," Ben teased, getting a huge grin from his best friend.

"Dealing with Seth's self-esteem," Jera added.

"Putting up with being ditched by Danny for Kendall. Often," Max said. They all looked at the normally quiet man who finally finished it.

"Letting Max say what I'm thinking," he said, though with no malice.

They were all quiet for a minute before Conner looked at Tori. "I might be willing to learn how to surf. You know, when I'm not busy trying to save the world."

Shane smiled at Kira. "Maybe we could try to work on a song together. A duet?"

Kira smiled back. "I'd like that. It might be something that you could skateboard to."

Danny looked at Ben. "You like plants?"

"Yeah," Ben answered. The two of them quietly discussed their work, agreeing to keep in touch.

Tori glanced over at Jera. "If you wouldn't mind, I could use some help with the van sometime."

"I'd be happy to," the other girl agreed.

Max and Tara were already talking about this, that, and everything, neither taking over the conversation, but it didn't slow down either. Max was able to keep up with her remarkably well. Seth looked around and smiled at bit at all of the interaction, though he wasn't sure how he fit in.

"Hey! Seth!" Ethan called out. He glanced over as the Dino Thunder Blue called him over. He shrugged to himself and headed over. "So, we were thinking. You're a writer and we're not, so how about helping us with an online comic idea."

"I thought you guys were talking about superheroes?" He asked and the two shrugged.

"We fell off track," Ethan answered, sounding as if it were obvious they were going to eventually. "Neither of us can draw very well, but we have ideas. We just need someone to write them."

Dustin nodded wildly. "We have lots of ideas, Dude."

"Yeah. I'll write them," Seth agreed, eager to be part of the group. Besides, it could be fun. "What about drawing them though?"

Ethan shrugged. "Leave that to me. I know a guy."

Kira rested her head back on Conner's shoulder. "I have to admit. This was a great idea."

Conner looked at her, pretending to look smug. "You had any doubt?"

* * *

Author's Note: Apologies on how long this took. On the plus side, I did finish NaNoWriMo in time, in fact ahead of schedule, so there's that. Still, I do feel bad about making you guys wait. 

I wanted a break from the whole drama thing, so here it is. Plus, there's Raptorball. I like Raptorball! Which, I must apologize for the part with Cole to anyone who likes the character. I'll be blunt: I didn't. I could handle the rest of the show, I liked Taylor, Danny, and Max and I was okay with the others, but I just didn't like Cole. Now, I try not to let that fall in when I'm writing a character, but my mind went to Red and I realized that he wasn't going to like Cole either and I could see Cole getting frustrated about that. Especially since it would be thought that Red could have a heart. So, I went with it. There are other Red Rangers I could see him getting the same way with: Eric, Tommy, Hunter… but none of them tried.

On the plus side of it, by using Cole I was able to write what the raptors were thinking. Yay! Okay, maybe just yay for me but still. I enjoyed it. Definitely wouldn't want to do it all of the time, but every once in a while is fun.

The little part at the end will be for future chapters as well. Also, I'm writing a one-shot for Christmas that will be out later this month and Trent will make an appearance during it just so everyone knows. I'm hoping it will be good especially since I love Christmas and have been looking forward to finishing it.

And because I tried, several times, to get the rankings for everyone in the story and failed, here they are: 1) Conner and Seth, 2) Tommy and Jason, 3) Eric and Wes, 4) Shane and Hunter, 6) Andros and T.J. 5) Carter and Leo, 6) Rocky and Cole. This was not based on which characters I liked more, but Conner did create the game and with Red, was more than likely to win. Tommy and Jason have played it the most after the other two. Eric and Wes were practicing earlier that day so they would have been used to how riding was at that point. Shane and Hunter were next simply because of age. I've noticed that, usually, it's easier for a younger generation to pick up something. Andros and T.J. and Carter and Leo, well, I flipped a coin. I did. Seriously. And Rocky and Cole came in last.

Thank you for the reviews and I'm sorry again for taking so long! I appreciate the readership, I really do. I've just found this time of the year to be difficult in keeping up my writing and putting it up. I shall endeavor to do a better job of it.


	8. Lessons

**Chapter Eight: Lessons**

"So, how do we do it?" Seth asked, looking up from what he was doing. Conner stared back at him, looking more than a little confused. He glanced over at Kira and Ethan for help, wondering if he was having one of his oblivious moments, but both of them shrugged as well. After it was clear that Seth wasn't going to add to the question, Conner finally took the initiative.

"Do what?" He asked and Seth sighed.

"The way you guys are. The way the Ninjas are. The way Danny and Max are. The Ranger thing. The teamwork thing. The friend thing," Seth answered. "You can't tell me you didn't do something to make it work."

Ben glanced over, looking a bit shy about it. Then again, the green Ranger often looked shy and rarely said anything which was fine considering that his three teammates often talked instead. "He's got a point. How do we get the way you are?"

"Time," came the answer, but it wasn't from Conner's mouth. Instead, Tommy was standing over them. His arms were crossed, but he lowered them to put his hands on Kira and Ethan's shoulders. Conner nodded in agreement from the side. "It takes time and effort. You have to want it. Or at least ignore what bothers you."

"Technically," Kim added as she joined him, placing her own hands on Conner's shoulders while leaning her head against Tommy shoulder tiredly. "Conner, Kira, and Ethan turned what bothered them about each other into friendly jokes. That's not exactly ignoring."

"Thanks, Kim," Tommy answered sardonically, though he smiled as he did so. "Still, there has to be effort."

"And near death experiences," Conner said helpfully. They all looked at him for that answer and none of the looks were very approving. "What? Nothing bonds you like nearly croaking with someone else."

Tara raised her hand, timidly for her. The idea obviously wasn't appealing to her. "Umm… Is there a way without nearly dying? How about Scrabble?"

"Scrabble," Jera muttered. "The bonding game."

"Hey, it was a good suggestion," Ben argued, backing up his friend which he was quicker to do than backing up himself. Seth opened his mouth to counter, but Conner answered first.

"See? This is not friendly. This is real anger. When I call Ethan a geek, he knows I mean it jokingly. He knows I respect his abilities," he answered. Kim nodded.

"You're better, but you all need a lot of work if you're going to win this war," she said calmly.

"I always say the team that trains together, bonds together," Tommy added. Kim gave him a look. "Fine. I'll say it more often… or ever. Now, you four, get going."

The four of them half-way complained, but took off. Kim sighed. "They're just not understanding it."

"They will," Tommy insisted. "They're still learning. Speaking of which, don't you three have homework?"

"No," Conner answered as Kira and Ethan rolled their eyes.

"Alone time, Conner. They want alone time," Kira told him and they dragged him off. "Just pretend like you haven't written that paper for class."

Kim shook her head as they walked off. "They're good kids."

"Maybe," Tommy started before joking. "But sometimes they make me want to bang my head against the wall."

"Did you ever warn Jason about having children because of them?" Kim asked and Tommy nodded.

"Every week up until Trini got pregnant," he answered, though his tone was filled with affection as he spoke. "Every week."

* * *

"The most important thing to do when you're out there is to think," Kim said as she took her turn as mentor. Tommy had taken over the physical part of it for the moment, leaving Kim with the mental side of it and the former Dino Thunder Rangers helped whichever one was teaching at the time if they could or helped in the Lair if there was little for them to help with. "If an opponent sees any sort opening, they'll take it. So, think before you do anything. If it seems like they're going to shoot at you, duck before it hits. If one can't handle it alone, use two of you. There's a reason why you have a team instead of there just being one of you."

Seth was the first to nod. "Conner mentioned that. He said that my team is my most important asset, that the other Reds tended to forget that, and something about Red only missions being bad."

"True, for all of it," Kim answered. "Tommy and Jason are especially bad as the ringleaders of that. No teammate is more important than another."

They all nodded at that, though they weren't sure if they would remember to follow it. Kim, for her part, seemed pleased that they'd already heard it. It meant that she wasn't going to have to take as much time convincing them. "Now, here's the part that you haven't probably heard before. Along with your powers, you each have a special way of doing things. Probably not as drastically different as we originals, but it's still there. A different fighting style, a tactical mind, a unique view… These are things that will help you in a fight… Damn."

She swore as she was cut off when their communicators sounded. Seth looked at Kim who nodded for him to answer it. Teaching them would just have to wait. "Seth here."

_"Downtown, major problem,"_ Tommy answered. _"I'm sending your vehicles. Get down there."_

"Okay," Seth answered, sounding a bit nervous. He often did before going into a fight, which Jera often covered up. She might have been the Blue, but she knew it wasn't good for a team to see their leader freaking out especially with how Ben and Tara already were. The last thing she needed was a team falling apart on her. She quickly motioned for him to continue, which he did in a stronger voice, happy he could read her. "Ready, guys?"

"Ready," they agreed. "Planetary Rangers, go!"

They suited up as the bikes stopped at their side. They got on and sped into town. Kim spent the time making it back to the lab where Tommy and the trio were waiting. "How goes it?"

"They're there," Conner answered, looking grim. "The rest is up to them, I guess."

* * *

Jera screamed as the monster threw her back, advancing on her. Seth caught up with her and helped her up, but both of them looked more than a little banged up. Tara caught the wind currents and used them to move upwards and toward the creature, landing on his shoulders. The move startled it, but he quickly threw her off as easily as the others. Ben helped her up and over to Jera and Seth. "Seth, do you have any ideas?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure one at a time isn't working. Maybe we should morph," Seth suggested. Jera shrugged.

"We tried that. There's a reason we're not morphed now," she reminded him, holding her shoulder and remembering how painful forced demorphing was. It looked like a mix between a horse, a spider, and a scorpion which had led them to believe that it was be fast, but not strong. Unfortunately, similar to mythological centaurs, it was fast and strong. Four spider-like legs gave it incredible jumping power as well which it used to smash them into the ground. The same shape as a centaur didn't help and the spider body was just freaky looking. The scorpion tail behind it served as a spear, which they'd managed to block. Still, if they couldn't stay morphed, then there was no reason to get back into uniform. "We just have to think about this. Alright. We have fire, earth, water, and wind powers, right?"

"Yep," Seth agreed. "And none of them worked."

"One at a time they didn't, no. I have an idea. Tara, hold him off until I say, okay?" Jera said and the other girl nodded, distracting the creature. "We're relatively alone, other than a monster, so we shouldn't hurt anyone if we do this. Ben, pull up rocks from the earth as many as you and push them toward him. When he starts, Seth, burn the rocks. Put as much heat toward them as possible. Melt them."

"Why?" Seth asked and Ben winced as he did as he was told. He still managed an answer.

"Molten rock," he muttered as he concentrated, sweat beginning to fall down his face. Earth was a great power, but he liked working with plants more than rocks. Still, he wasn't going to give up. "Lava."

The two worked together as Ben pulled the rocks up through the ground. It was tiring, but he managed to push them toward the monster who was still distracted. Seth immediately did his part to burn the rock, concentrating just as hard as his teammate. With work, the rock melted and oozed across the ground, heading toward the monster. Tara waited until it was close enough before using her power to move out of the way. She didn't wait until it hit either, knowing that lava was extremely hot and didn't need to touch the skin to burn. The boys moved it up and over, encasing the monster within. It howled in pain and anger, trying to get loose to all of their surprise. Jera looked at them. "I thought that would kill it."

"Do we have a Plan B?" Seth asked, looking at Ben. "You're the other good one in science. Idea?"

Ben looked a bit surprised. "Umm, well, uh lava when cooled is, uh, rock again, right? So, maybe we should do that with, uh, Jera and Tara, maybe?"

Seth nodded and turned to the girls. "Do it."

The two concentrated and water headed toward the monster. Tara used her own power to cool it, making the encasement quicker as it turned to rock. Both of them stopped and all four waited. The monster didn't move, engulfed under cooled volcanic rock. Seth was the first to say anything. "Did it work? Did we do it?"

Jera paused and then nodded. "I think we did."

Tara literally squealed with joy, jumping up and down. "We did! We did! Look Ben, did you see?"

Ben, the ever practical one, nodded but quickly turned their attention to the people starting to come back. "It, uh, might be a good idea, to, uh, morph."

Seth nodded. "Yeah."

They did so as the crowds returned, cheering. They felt a bit of pride from their accomplishment and their mentors had already called in to tell them what a good job they'd done. They could hear the trio whooping for joy in the background among Tommy's many tries to keep them quiet.

"Well, that was fun," Jera said sarcastically. "Can we go home now?"

Seth grinned. "I don't see why not."

* * *

"Did you see that? They were great!" Conner said enthusiastically. "They were working together and kicked some serious ass!"

"Conner's right," Kira agreed. "They were amazing."

"And they did it unmorphed. Mostly because it wasn't working the other way, but still," Ethan added. Kim was laughing at their delight, thrilled to be sharing it with them while Tommy looked skeptical.

"I agree. They did great," he said. "But I have a bad feeling."

They immediately sobered up. Kim wrapped her arms around her fiancé. "What sort of bad feelings?"

"Uh… maybe that?" Ethan suggested, pointing at the screen. The monster had been broken free of the casing and grown. "They always grow them. Seriously, Doctor O, every bad guy does it. What is it, Miracle Grow for monsters?"

"If it is, it's gotta be 10 cents a gallon with how often these guys use it," quipped Conner. "So, we've got Zords, right?"

"Yep," Tommy answered. He turned back to the communication. "Guys! Behind you!"

The four teens turned around, gaping at the giant. Seth was the first to answer back. _"Doctor Oliver, you have a plan, right?"_

"They'll be right there," Tommy promised and started to press various buttons. Conner looked a little confused.

"They don't have to call for them?" He asked.

"Not this time," Tommy answered. Conner nodded as Kim took over the communication, explaining quickly how to merge the Zords together if necessary. Kira and Ethan gave their own advice based on what they'd seen. Finally, they could only wait. Conner bit his bottom lip and wondered if this is how Kim and Tommy had felt the year before with them. Had they felt this helpless?

He glanced over at them and saw that Doctor O had finished as was subconsciously patting Kira's back to keep her calm. Kim had both of her hands on Ethan's shoulders as the young genius was inwardly panicking. He nearly sighed as he realized that no, this isn't what they had felt. They had felt much worse.

* * *

Kalderon Phoenix screeched as she announced her presence to the rest of the world, leading the way. Her large frame was dwarfed by her two companions, especially Mirinoi Dragon who was managing not to crush buildings as he moved. Aeris Gryphon made his way, flying between the other two. The only one not seen was Aquitar Hippocampus since there didn't seem to be water nearby. Jera felt her disappointment and wonder at that until the ground exploded and the Zord came out like a whale at Sea World.

"Wow," Seth whispered as the Zords stood ready. "They're amazing."

"Yep," Jera agreed. Seth looked at her. "I'll tell you later. Let's go."

Seth agreed and they all got to their Zord. They worked together to push the monster back, completely catching it off guard. None of them were surprised by that. The creature didn't seem to have the intelligence that its leaders had, instead being a creature of strength. Seth looked through the screen to where he knew the mentors could see him.

"So, are we supposed to bring them together?" He asked. "Or keep going the way we are?"

"If we're voting," Tara said. "I vote we stay like this because the Gryphon is awesome."

_"Keep them apart for as long as possible. Numbers are often a good thing. Still, them together is stronger, so when you feel the need, do it," _Tommy instructed._ "And before you ask, you'll know."_

"Got it," Seth agreed and they moved into attack again. Within a certain amount of time, they realized they were getting nowhere and quickly merged. The four Zords came together with the Dragon as the main body and arms, Hippocampus and Gryphon as legs, and Phoenix as the head, her wings making a helmet. Hippocampus' tail came apart and the caudal fin came together to create a sword. They easily fought it back after that, destroying the creature. The four of them cheered at the new feeling of comradery and the familiar sense of victory. They exited the Zords, allowing for them to head off. They looked at each other and nodded to Seth who spoke to their mentors. "We're coming home."

* * *

"Are you kidding?" Seth asked. "Kalderon Phoenix was way better than your hippocampus. She could fly. Yours can only swim."

"Yeah, and she came out of the ground. Best entrance," Jera argued. "I'd ask Tara and Ben to back me up, but they're still going on about the dragon and the gryphon."

"He's huge!" Ben said, feeling overwhelmed. "He has to be careful not to knock over buildings. What if he decides he doesn't like me?"

Tara patted his arm. "Relax, Ben. They're Zords. I don't think they randomly turn on you. Right, guys?"

Jera and Seth shared a quick looked that said 'truce' before turning to their green teammate. "Seriously, Ben. I don't think that happens unless maybe a Ranger goes bad or something. And you're not going to go bad."

"Seth's right," Jera agreed. "Don't worry so much. Besides, we kicked ass! We're supposed to be happy right now. We just won our first Zord battle!"

Tara squealed with delight at that and rushed Seth, who quickly caught her and spun her around before handing her off to Ben. "We won, we won, we won!"

Seth laughed as she pounced on Ben's back, arms around his neck, still squealing. "Tara. Tara. Tara! I think he's trying to breathe," Seth joked and patted Ben's shoulder. "You okay, Man?"

"I will be," he promised and his eyes lit up a bit. "Do you see it?"

Seth looked around. "See what?"

Jera caught on a bit quicker. "We're getting along," she answered. "All of us."

"Like real teammates," Ben continued, nodding. "We're doing it."

Seth grinned. "And it only took giant creatures that shouldn't exist for it to happen," he joked again, but Tara shook her head.

"No. I think it was the power melding," she said distantly. They all looked over to make sure she was okay, but she soon was her happy self again. "Look! The raptors came to say hello!"

"Uh, Tara? The raptors don't… Gah! Hello, Red," Seth said as he turned around, right into the red raptors face. He quickly motioned for the others to get as far behind him as possible as he tried to figure out how to not get torn apart by the lead raptor. "Did I do something?"

Red chirped and Seth decided to take that as a yes. He glanced over to see his mentors, all five, watching though Kim and Conner were doing their best to make it to the raptor before he got to Seth. "Okay, what did I do?"

Red looked over his shoulder and Seth tried to block him. The other raptors fell in line behind him and Red made a noise that sounded like a chuckle. He chirped again and nudged Seth with his snout before moving aside and chirping for the others to do the same. Kim and Conner both looked relieved and Kim walked straight over to the red raptor, arms folded. "You had us worried sick."

Red looked apologetic and Conner quickly came to his rescue. "Maybe we should just be glad Red accepts them, huh? He was the last not to."

Kim nodded before turning and looking Red square in the eyes. "Don't scare me like that again!"

Red chirped and nudged her, trying to get off the hook. The other humans just snickered. After a few seconds, Kira seemed to get back on track. "You did it! You were great!"

The others followed suit, each congratulating the newest Rangers on their teamwork and how well they had done. Tommy and Kim both told them that they were now doing much better and the trio were just grinning. Before too much could be said, however, they were interrupted when Zack rushed down the stairs.

"Bad… Scorpina… transporter… good… tired…" were the only words out of his mouth before he collapsed into a chair.

"Zack, are you alright?" Kim asked, checking him over. He tried to catch his breath as his teammate asked and, after a minute, nodded.

"Yeah. Billy's transporter is the best ever," he muttered, still a little tired. "I just wish I would have remembered it before I ran three blocks."

"What did you do that for?" Kim asked incredulously and the others laughed. Zack looked as if what he was muttering about made perfect sense instead of the mish mash of topics coming from him.

"To tell you," he answered and Tommy threw up his hands.

"Tell us what, Zack?" He asked in a tone that was far more annoyed than his fiancé.

"Scorpina. She… She found a new tactic," he answered. Kim motioned for him to slow down.

"Try the beginning, Zack," she said softly.

"Alright. The battle, good job by the way, happened here, but not where I was negotiating and the company sent me there on business for a meeting. So, I didn't know you guys were really fighting because if it's not in the area, apparently people from Reefside are like people from Angel Grove and they just keep working. Anton was there, you'll be getting a call from him soon, and so was I. So, the two of us were making small talk and in comes the CEO of a new, well, new to her, company," Zack said, still babbling, but making a little more sense than before. "It was Scorpina, guys. She took over a company and I think she did it legally. She looked human and went under the name Sabrina Leiurus. Guys, if I didn't know her so well and if Mercer hadn't known what to look for himself, we wouldn't have known who she was. She pulled this off really well."

"Umm… I hate to sound stupid, but what's wrong with that?" Conner asked and Zack sighed.

"Okay, if she's in charge, CEO of a company, that means that people are going to notice if she disappears. It means she's respectable. And if she does this right, she might be able to sway the people's opinion away from us," Zack explained. "We could end up as the bad guys. At the least, she has money and power."

"So do we," Conner said and pointed at Zack. "You and Dr. Mercer."

"It's the loss of an advantage," Tommy explained and Conner nodded at that, completely understanding. "So, what do we do about it?"

Before any of them could answer, the computer popped up with Anton's face. It was clear he had made it home before he called and while Tommy and Kim realized he was worried merely from the time spent with him, he looked completely calm. He nodded in a quick greeting before looking straight at Zack. "I am assuming you informed them?"

"Yep," Zack said and Anton nodded.

"Good. It doesn't seem like she is trying for a corporate take over, but it would be beneficial if we could lower her advantage," Anton said seriously.

"Like, have someone there?" Conner asked and Kim turned to him.

"What are you talking about Conner?" She demanded and he gave a half shrug.

"Think about it. If there was someone there, they could keep an eye on her. Maybe even figure out what she's doing," Conner answered. "I've been looking for a job anyway…"

"Are you insane?" Kim demanded. "She'll kill you for even suggesting it!"

"Or she won't. She's not stupid," Conner answered, rolling his eyes. "At worst, she won't hire me. She can't afford any murder charges in her own building right now, right?"

"Kid's got a point," Zack answered and Kim turned her glare on him. "Face it, Kim, he's right. Still, Conner, you sure about this?"

"Yeah, I am. Why?" He asked and Zack sighed. He looked as if he wasn't sure how to answer.

"You have been doing an exemplary job," Mercer said instead. "Yet, we all know you haven't been completely well. We want to make sure you're sure."

"That I don't have a death wish or something?" Conner asked and Mercer nodded once, knowing it would come better from him than Zack. Conner knew that Mercer wasn't much better than him in that department. "No, I don't. I'm just the best choice."

"Why are you suddenly the best choice?" Kim demanded. "We have many former Rangers. Plenty of them. One of them could use a new job."

Conner sighed and walked straight over to his mentor, gently wrapping his arms around her before she had the panic attack he knew was coming. "Kim, I'll be fine. Look, she was interested in me. That means I have a good chance at getting the job. I'll be okay. You're not going to lose me again."

Tommy's arms were folded and he looked at Conner over Kim's shoulder. "It's not that we don't think you can't do it…"

Conner nodded. "I know, Doctor O. Really. I do. But like I said, I think I'm our best shot."

Zack looked at him seriously. "If you're sure about this, just remember that she might not hire you."

"I'm betting she won't," Conner said with a slight laugh. "Doesn't mean I'm not going to try."

Mercer nodded before Tommy and Kim could argue again. "Then you have my vote."

Zack nodded. "And mine. We'll put ourselves down as references, lie for you. Not that it matters too much."

Ethan looked at Kira and stepped forward, nodding. "Hey, Conner. We're behind you. If you want to do this, we'll help you."

"Right," Kira agreed. "Just… don't get yourself killed, okay?"

Conner let go of his mentor, letting Tommy take over before heading over to Kira and kissing her gently. "I'll try."

She laughed a bit at that, but nodded. "That's the best I'm going to get, isn't it?"

"Yep," he answered and turned to the newest four Rangers. "Well?"

They looked surprised by the question, but quickly answered. "If, uh, we can be Rangers then, umm, you'll do fine," Ben answered.

Tara smiled. "Yeah! You'll do great!"

"Good luck," Jera said with a smile and a shrug. Seth looked at Conner seriously.

"If you need help…" he started and Conner nodded.

"I'll ask," he promised. Seth grinned with the others and Ethan would joke later that he asked for the quartet's opinion so that they would pick his side without much of a fight. At last, even Kim and Tommy decided that Conner was right and he went off to start his resume followed by Ethan and Kira. Kim and Tommy both sighed, hoping their first Red would be alright.

* * *

"So, an assistant job," Ethan said as he walked into the shared dorm room. "You realize that both our mentors are still having an absolute fit, right?"

"Yep," Conner answered, before putting a finger over his lips. "Keep your voice down. Kira's sleeping."

"Is she okay?" Ethan asked and Conner shrugged as he tucked her into his own bed. He didn't mind sleeping on the floor tonight, not after that day. He gave Ethan a half-smile before answering.

"Freaked out," he answered and looked a little more serious. "Like you."

"Stop reading me like a book," Ethan teased, though their wasn't too much humor in his own voice either. Both Ethan and Kira had backed him, like the always did, but that didn't mean that they had to like the idea. Neither had tried to talk him out of it, but Kira had been slightly shaking by the time they'd gotten back to the dorm room and Conner, ever the good boyfriend, had soothed her until she fell asleep. Ethan wasn't much better, but he would be damned before he did that with the Blue. Not to mention Ethan would probably kill him for trying. Ethan glanced over at the computer screen. "Seriously though, just be careful. And change the wording there. It doesn't sound right."

"Thanks," Conner said honestly getting back up to fix it. "Everything will be fine, Ethan."

"Probably. So, did you finish that paper for your English class?" Ethan asked and Conner's eyes widened.

"Shit."

* * *

**Author's Note:** I know, I know. It took me forever to get this chapter out and it's not even as long as the others by about five pages. The truth is, college's winter break was hell for me. Not just because I didn't get it, but because Christmas is around that time and I'm still learning how to balance my job and life. Plus, my friends' usual baby-sitter sort of went on vacation so they didn't have anyone to watch the kid at night, so I was asked to do so. Considering that the kid is like a surrogate nephew to me, I agreed, but that made my writing even more hectic. Fortunately, their usual baby-sitter is back and I'm able to do more again. Yay! Also, this chapter was just hard to do. Like, really hard for some reason, so there's the other reason.

Other than thanking all of you for your wonderful reviews for both this story and for the Christmas story, which I do a hundred times over, I really don't have anything to add to this. So, thank you all for continuing to review. You guys make me feel guilty for not updating more often and thrilled when I've finished another chapter so that I can show it to all of you. Thank you for your support and being so patient with me as of late.


	9. Date and Discussions

**Chapter 9: Date and Discussions**

"We can do this!" Conner argued with Ethan and Kira behind him nodding. Two of their mentors stood in front of them looking doubtful while Hayley was to the side agreeing with the young former Rangers. Tommy shot her a look that she promptly ignored.

"Hayley, stop nodding," Tommy ordered. "You're just doing it so that you and Billy can have a nice dinner."

"And I think they can handle it," Hayley continued, continuing her usual tone when she disagreed with him. "You've had them do it before."

"No," Kim said backing up Tommy. "We've had them watch the base, which they insist they only have to look at the cameras if there is an emergency, and we've had them watch the children. We've never had them do both at once."

"Stop worrying, Kim. We can handle it," Conner insisted. "Look, there's three of us and two relatively well-behaved children who understand the importance of not breaking anything in the Lair."

"Probably better than Conner," Ethan offered and Conner nodded before vehemently shaking his head.

"Hey!" He exclaimed as his partners snickered. "United front, remember?"

"Right," Ethan said, trying to sober up a bit. It, tragically, wasn't working very well and Kira wasn't much better behind him. They both tried to stifle their giggles and managed to put on a slightly serious face. "We can handle this."

Both Kim and Tommy didn't look convinced at that and Conner sighed. "We're not going to break anything, we won't let the kids break anything, we'll keep an eye on both the computers and the kids, and it will be fine. Seriously, go."

"You need this," Kira added. "We've saved the world, we've helped teach new Rangers, we're surrogate siblings for a couple of six-year-olds. We can handle this too."

They glanced around at their students unconvinced at first, but after a moment nodded and sighed. "If you really think you can…" Tommy began and Kira cut him off.

"Relax, Doctor O, we know what we're doing. Just have a good night, okay?" She said and Conner nodded.

"And don't come down to the Lair when you get back. We're going to spend the night down there with the kids to make sure that you guys don't have to listen for the alarms. Come on, Kim. Come on, Doctor O. Let us do this," Conner pushed and the two finally sighed and nodded. The trio nearly cheered, but were held back when they realized that that might destroy their argument. They had already convinced Billy, though he had reservations about letting Neen anywhere near Conner after the past Christmas and the Cookie Incident. Still, the other two had managed to convince him that they were sane, even if their partner wasn't, and he'd agreed.

They'd had been trying to convince all three of their mentors that taking breaks were healthy with varying degrees of success. Hayley had been more than willing to, but getting Billy was another story and their other two mentors seemingly refused at every turn, worried at what would happen if they did. Conner gently pushed Kim toward the door while Kira and Ethan dragged their former science teacher. A push from behind told Tommy that Hayley was helping. Once at the stairs, Hayley completely took over and dragged the other two out there door, smiling at the kids. They grinned at that and the door shut behind their mentors, leaving them alone in the Lair.

Conner turned to the other two. "Alright. Sleeping bags?"

"Check!" Ethan called out.

"Candy?"

"Enough to make Billy kill us tomorrow," Kira sighed, but her smile ruined the effect.

"Chips?"

"As much as the candy," his girlfriend added.

"Movies?" He demanded.

"Got them. Okay for the kids and absolutely no fish in any of them," Ethan said. With Kira's help, the two boys had gone through the movies one by one to make sure that there were no fish nor any marine life death in them.

"Good. We're set," Conner said happily. He headed over to the monitors and turned them on, preparing for the boring part of watch as the door opened and two hyper children came running down the stairs, sleeping bag and other necessities in hand. The raptors glanced up before going back to what they were doing. Unless something happened, they were taking the opportunity to rest. Conner turned to the kids. "You two ready?"

They both nodded excitedly and the night began.

* * *

Tommy led Kim into the restaurant, both of them dressed for the occasion. Tommy had rented a white tuxedo in memory to his White Ranger days while Kim had a pink dress that fit her well. She smiled softly at him and he smiled back at her before they entered the room. The maitre de set them up at a table that had been reserved by one of the trio in preparation. When they'd found out, right before they headed out the door, they'd been impressed by the younger generation's knowledge of what they liked. 

They headed toward the table and sat down, accepting water for the moment while they decided what they wanted. Tommy glanced over the menu, quickly deciding before turning to Kim. "Having trouble deciding, Beautiful?" He teased.

She gave him a mock glare as she looked it over. "I'm just trying to decide between two dishes," she answered. "I'm thinking about a Caesar Salad first and then some pasta."

"Sounds good to me," he answered, smiling. "So, white wine?"

"That would go best," she agreed, accepting his idea. They were both calm, feeling better than they had in ages. It had been awhile since they'd been able to get away. They gave their orders to the waiter when he returned and turned back to each other deciding to talk about other matters.

"So, when did you want to tell the others?" He asked and she smiled.

"That we finally set a date? Soon. I just want to enjoy the small time of quiet before everything goes nuts. At least we agreed to do two weddings instead of Jason's one," she said with a sigh. "You heard what Billy said."

Tommy nodded, making sure no one was nearby. Fortunately, they were away from most people which made talking about such sensitive subjects easier. "I don't see why we need delegates from that many planets anyway. I only really like Aquitar and possibly Edenoi."

"Just be glad that we have friends on some of those planets who can come so that we don't have to deal with stuffy ambassadors. Dex and Trey both agreed to come and both of their planets agreed that by their princes coming, no one else had to. And can you honestly name five other people that we know who have had princes come to their wedding?" Kim asked, trying to placate him. She had to admit that it wasn't easy when she didn't like the idea either. She did, however, like the idea of going to war worse which she knew her fiancé wasn't thinking about.

"I fought with Dex and Trey. It's hard to consider someone royalty when you've been out there in the field with them," he reminded her, not accepting her reasoning. "Their encouraging me not to doesn't help either. How is it that we only meet the rulers of these planets. Trey, Dex, you'd think that we'd be meeting a general of some sort, but it's usually a prince."

"The Aquitian Rangers," she reminded him. "They're not royalty. But, I know what you mean. I'd personally like to meet one of these people who was a woman instead. That would make my day."

"Delphine was a woman," he reminded her. "And she led."

"I know," Kim said with a slight sigh. "Well, maybe the next one will be a girl."

"What do you mean 'next one'?" Tommy demanded. "We have enough trouble. Stop asking for more. Speaking of the Aquitian Rangers, did they agree to come?"

Kim nodded and then laughed a bit. "But from what Delphine was saying, quite a few Aquitians wanted to come, dry world or not. Delphine had to explain that we probably wouldn't have enough room for a planet according to Billy. I think they're the race that we're allied with the most."

"Well, we're not exactly advanced compared to some of the others," Tommy told her as he mimicked a mocking voice. He looked a little disgusted at that and changed the subject slightly. "If it's alright with you, since he knows, do you think that David could come to both?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way. Besides, lots of people will be coming for both: Anton and Elsa, Hayley, all of the originals…" she started and sighed. "What about the kids?"

"It'll look weird if they don't come for ours when they came to Jason's since they knew Jason through me. Dante will be easy to get in, if he wants to come, just because he's Neen's friend. Let's have the new four come to the second one though," he said. "No sense in making things worse. We have excuses for everyone else so we don't have to go through that hell again."

Kim nodded, shuddering at thoughts of Trini's wedding. "Hopefully, things will be easier this time around," she said and paused. She looked a little uncomfortable, which Tommy immediately noticed. He reached across the table and took her hand.

"What's wrong, Kim?" He asked and she sighed.

"We're in a restaurant," she informed him and he looked confused.

"You're upset because we went out to dinner?" He asked and she closed her eyes as she shook her head.

"I just don't want you to break anything," she answered. He sighed and smiled at her.

"I promise, Beautiful, I won't," he assured her. She shrugged and reached into her purse, pulling out a box with a sheet of paper. She made sure that none of the waiters were around before she set them down in front of him. She opened the box and in it laid a beautiful piece for the top of any wedding cake. It had a dragon and a pterodactyl resting down on the bottom. On one side was a tiger on its back legs with its front legs upward together. On another, there was a firebird reaching toward the sky with its wings, only its tail touching the ground. They held up a disk. On it, there were two pedestals, one of the left and one of the right which contained a crane and a falcon watching the middle piece: the extreme likeness of Tommy and Kim. It was made from some sort of metal and was beautifully crafted. "You were worried I'd be angry over this? Who sent it?"

"That's why you might be angry," she answered, taking the gift and handing him the letter. As he opened it, it spoke instead of just allowing him to read it. It wasn't spoken loudly and as long as the waiters weren't near the table, it wouldn't be an issue with the other clientele talking.

_Young Dragon, Graceful Pterodactyl:_

_We send you greetings and hope that you are well. We have heard that your marriage is to be getting underway shortly. While we are, understandably, not invited, we wished to give you a gift nonetheless._

_We hope that your wedding will go well. Thomas Oliver, Kimberly Hart, good luck._

_Lord Zedd and Lady Rita_

Tommy glanced over at Kim who shrugged. He felt the anger rise a bit. "How did they know?"

"Our wedding seems to be pretty important on every other planet," she reminded him. "Save the universe a few times and they tend to appreciate it. Well, some do."

"Still, Rita and Zedd… It doesn't seem right," he grimaced and Kim gave him a stern look.

"Don't let Trini and Jason hear you say that," she scolded. "They'll give you a twenty minute lecture on how our former enemies saved your life."

Tommy winced at that. He knew she was right and, as much as he would have liked to think of the whole thing as a dream with Dream Rita and Dream Zedd, the fact that their bodies were humanish disproved that theory. "You're right."

"Besides, it's a beautiful gift. We have to use it on the second wedding cake," she told him. He nodded and took her hand, giving her a small smile.

"We will," he promised. No matter what, it was a beautiful piece. They continued their conversation on to other things, knowing their food would be there soon. They didn't want their waiter to hear what was going on. Therefore, it was a bit of a shock when their communicators went off. They both looked at each other in slight panic before Tommy quickly answered. "Guys?"

_"You tell him,"_ Ethan's voice came on, obviously having not heard Tommy's voice.

_"Uh uh," _Kira's voice came into hearing. _"Conner's the leader. Conner, you do it."_

_"I don't want to!"_ The former red Ranger proclaimed. _"I'm sick of giving bad news."_

_"I will do it,"_ offered Neen and there was a general protest about not making the kids do it. As annoyed as they were, both mentors found a sort of irony that the younger immature Rangers weren't willing to let Neen while the eldest Rangers were.

_"Fine. I've got it. Again. Look, Doctor O, Kim. We weren't spying or anything, but close to the restaurant there are a bunch of Tarantumen outside the restaurant. It didn't look like they were hurting anything, so we weren't sure if we should call in the Planetary Rangers since they're not good with stealth," _Conner said, sounding uneasy. Though, to be fair, neither of his mentors were sure if they would have been comfortable interrupting Zordon if he'd been on a date. A second after that, they realized that they wouldn't have been comfortable with the idea of Zordon on a date in the first place. Tommy looked at Kim, who nodded.

"We've got it guys," Tommy assured them. "Just… keep an eye on things, okay? Can you tell exactly where they are?"

_"No,"_ Conner answered. _"We just know they're close."_

"Thanks, guys," Kim said honestly. "We'll take care of it."

_"We're really sorry," _Kira said and Tommy gave a half smile, even though she couldn't see it.

"We know," he told her. "Tommy out."

Kim looked at their dinner which the waiter was bringing over and back at Tommy. "I don't know about you, Tommy, but I don't want to ditch our dinner."

"We had enough of that back in Angel Grove," he agreed. "How about we take turns?"

She nodded in agreement at that. The two switch on and off, carefully examining various areas near the building, while only being gone for short periods of a time. Their dinner finally was concluded and they left after paying the bill. Without that stress on them, they could find what they were looking for, stop it or call in the Rangers, and head out for a more romantic desert. Considering how their night was going, they really wanted that last part so it wasn't a surprise when Tommy considered splitting up. Kim headed in one way while Tommy headed in the other.

* * *

Kim headed toward the left, keeping quiet so that she wouldn't be seen. By now, they'd all been told about the vibrations that spiders could sense and while walking definitely didn't help that, she was nearly certain that making even more noise wouldn't help. Still, after a few minutes, she was pretty sure that she wasn't making any progress and hoped that Tommy was having better luck especially since, though she hated to admit it, he could probably handle a group of Tarantumen better than her at the moment considering that he could make them lose one sense with the invisibility. 

"Lost?" Kim whipped her head around and turned to see a man standing there. With all of the knowledge she had on aliens and monsters, it didn't take her long to decide that he was undoubtedly human. An annoying human from what she could tell with a supposedly charming smile. She recognized him from the restaurant and had the feeling that she wasn't going to like anything that came out of his mouth.

"Just looking around," she said, trying to move on but he wasn't that easy to get rid of.

"Would you like some help?" He asked and she shook her head.

"No thank you. My fiancé is helping already," she answered, hoping that would get him to back off.

"You mean the guy who kept ditching you?" He asked. "Doesn't seem like a great guy to me."

"Well, he doesn't have to. You're not the one dating him," Kim pointedly reminded him.

"Still, you could do so much better," the man offered and Kim rolled her eyes. She decided against answering, knowing that it would probably encourage him. "Like me."

_Or it doesn't matter what I say. He's going to keep trying. It's probably a good thing Tommy isn't here. It's hard to have a wedding when the groom is in jail for assault. _She turned to him, looking quite serious. "Look, I'm just not interested."

"Give me a chance," he continued. "What could it hurt?"

Kim nearly growled as she turned away, hearing him follow. She had the feeling that this was going to be a very long search and with the other yapping the whole way, the Tarantumen would know she was coming. She stopped, quickly, at that. They knew who she was and they weren't too big on ignoring civilians. There had been several murders that the newest Rangers hadn't been able to stop after all and Kim would have a hard time fighting off even one without having to worry about multiple ones and having to save the man behind her. She glanced back toward the restaurant, but she'd be giving up looking if she did so. Someone else could get hurt. If she continued on, both he and herself could get hurt. She was beginning to understand the term in between a rock and a hard place.

* * *

Unknowing about the plight of his fiancé, Tommy scoped his own side, looking around for the creatures. He'd turned his invisibility on at this point since it would mean that he wouldn't have to worry about being sighted. He couldn't do that with sound, but having a little cover was better than nothing. It was more than Kim had after all. He'd hated leaving her to look on her own, but he'd been getting slightly better as time went on. Besides, they were close enough that if she had trouble, he could be there fast enough. It wasn't like they were looking on opposite parts of town. 

Jason had told him again and again that Kim didn't need to be looked after and that she'd done quite well before he became the white Ranger. Tommy had argued back that Jason wasn't much better, but the former Red had disagreed and pointed out that he had never slowed down Trini or Kim. He didn't blame Tommy, claiming that needing to save the day was part of his best friend's DNA, but he did remind him that he needed to back down a bit more. Jason joked that he could be overprotective of Kira instead, but Tommy shot that down with a mutter that her dating Conner had already put a stop to that. He knew the younger Red wouldn't do anything, well, other than be tactless, but Kira was used to that. Besides, it was never a good idea to try to protect a Yellow whether or not they were your surrogate daughter.

He shook his head and started to pay attention to the situation once more, listening for anything important. That was paid off when he heard the familiar scurrying and was relieved to find that he had come across them. Instead of charging in, like he wanted to, he took the time to watch and hone his observation skills. He had the feeling that when he told the others, there would be several jokes about him growing up and learning.

They were picking up small mounds of dirt and carrying it off. One by one they continued to do so in the dark, behind the restaurant where there were trees and dirt. They ignored the plants completely as they continued their task, merely wanting to get what they had apparently come for back to their mistress. Tommy didn't interrupt in case they decided to gather anything else. While he didn't like the idea of letting them get away with anything, he knew that sometimes observing was a better idea than stopping. Perhaps Hayley and Billy would know what they were up to and if Conner got the job…

He quickly put a stop to that thought, reminding himself that he didn't want the boy anywhere near that psychopath. Why they had thought that putting him anywhere near the same creature who had kidnapped him before was a good idea was beyond him. He hadn't fought against it, but that wouldn't stop him from hoping that the younger man would be rejected. Still, even he had to admit that it was a good idea and if he got it, it could be a lot of help for the team. He shoved all those thoughts away quickly after and continued to watch, not wanting to deal with that part of the future.

* * *

Kim was about ready to go to jail for committing assault herself, though she was somehow keeping herself in check. The man was simply not leaving her alone, no matter how many times she'd told him she wasn't interested. She couldn't keep going considering that would let on who she was, but she hated to quit because of one man too. She knew right there was safe since none of the creatures had shown up yet and the way the man was going on, one would have. _Stupid rich boy. Oops, sorry Wes._ She winced a bit at that before deciding the Red Time Force Ranger would probably agree with her. _Hmm… I'll have to ask him how to get rid of these guys. If he flashes his wallet one more time…_

"So, how about an after dinner drink…" he started, but was cut off by a different voice.

"Mom!" Both Kim and the other man whipped their head around to see Dante racing across to catch up with them. Kira was on his heels, pretending to be tired. At least, Kim hoped she was pretending since she knew how Neen and Dante could get. She was staring at them just about as much as the man was. "Mom, you said you'd be home by now."

Kira had to remind herself to keep a straight face as she stood before her mentor and this jerk that wasn't leaving her alone. Dante was doing a much better job at being the distressed child than she was at being the baby-sitter. "I'm sorry, Kim," she said. "But it was getting late and you left your cell-phone at home again."

_"He won't leave her alone," Ethan had snapped, nearly breaking the table with his fist. Kira had the feeling that he'd toned it down a bit since the former Blue tended to use his own power when he got angry. She glanced over and saw that Conner didn't look much happier as he stared at the monitor. They'd promised themselves to only keep an eye on the mentor who left, but once they both had, they'd kept an eye on both. Therefore, they'd been watching the disgusting display for as long as Kim had been enduring it._

_"Aunt Kimberly has Uncle Tommy," Neen said, looking more than a little confused. Dante wasn't._

_"He doesn't care," Dante answered. "He just likes her 'cause she's pretty."_

_"How do you know?" Conner demanded, not liking the idea of young kid knowing something like that and Dante shrugged._

_"My mommy goes through it," he answered. "She doesn't mind, though. And they go away when they see me."_

_"Why?" Neen asked and Dante shrugged. However, the other three grinned catching on to what had happened with Dante's mother's relationships._

_"Dante, you're brilliant!" Conner exclaimed to both Neen and Dante's continued confusion. They had the feeling that they were going to stay that way for a lot of the night. What the were weren't expecting was what Conner said next. "Kira, you'll have to be the baby-sitter."_

_"Why me?" She demanded and Conner shrugged._

_"Because it's typically a girl and we've got to make this jack… err… jerk believe it. He doesn't look like the kind of guy who's going to believe Ethan and I are baby-sitting. Dante, you're going to be Kim's kid, okay? Sorry Neen, but Dante has a better grasp of the language of six-year-olds. Ethan, Neen, and I will watch from here," Conner said, using his best leadership voice. Dante shrugged, but nodded. He didn't mind being involved. Kira sighed, but nodded as she wanted to help Kim in some way. She just really hoped this worked._

If Kim was confused as to what was going on, she didn't let on. Instead, she managed to pull an embarrassed look off perfectly as she wrapped an arm around Dante, kissing the top of his forehead before looking back at Kira. "I'm sorry, Kira," she said honestly, doing a much better job than Kira at acting if Kira was any judge. Still, Kira wasn't rolling around laughing like she was sure her teammates would have been doing.

"You have a kid?!" The man's eyes widened in disgust and he backed away as Kim shrugged. "Why didn't you say anything?!"

"It's really none of your business," Kim answered. She couldn't help herself as she continued. "Did you still want that date?"

He ran off before she could continue, fortunately heading back to the restaurant which meant that Kim didn't have to worry about him. She waited until he was out of earshot before she turned to Kira and Dante, giving them as much of a scolding look as she could. "Spying?" She asked and Kira looked a little uneasy about it as Kim spoke into her morpher as well. "Conner, Ethan, I know you two are watching too."

_"Hey Kim,"_ both boys said sheepishly, forgetting that Kim might not like that they were keeping an eye on her.

_"We weren't spying!" _Ethan said quickly.

_"We were keeping an eye on you," _Conner continued.

_"We are watching Uncle Tommy as well in case the Tarantumen would attack. We could not inform you before, but he has found them," _Neen finished. Kim noted that the only one that seemed calm was the young girl.

Kira looked just as sheepish as her teammates sounded. "We just saw what he was doing and…" She wasn't able to finish as Kim pulled Dante and her into a bear hug which effectively cut her off.

"Thank you," she answered. "I was about ready to deck him. And that goes for you three as well. I'm sure all of you had something to do with this idea."

"You're welcome," Dante answered happily and Kira took the boy's hand as Kim let them go.

"If you're okay now, I should get him home," Kira said and Kim nodded, smiling as the transporter took them away.

_"When you and Doctor O are ready to finish your date, don't worry. We won't be watching any more," _Ethan promised.

_"Yeah. None of us want to be scarred for life anyway,"_ Conner added. Kim, knowing they could see her, glared in his direction.

"Conner…" she began.

_"Gotta go," _the former red Ranger said quickly and hung up. Kim sighed and shook her head as she went looking for her missing boyfriend.

* * *

By the time everything with Kim had ended, Tommy was finishing up watching. The last of the Tarantumen were leaving and Tommy took a minute or two before letting down the invisibility and heading over to the dirt they'd been acquiring. He memorized where it was and promised himself that he would let Hayley and Billy know in the morning. He wasn't about to disturb both dates since both Hayley and Kim would murder him and not necessarily at the same time. He had no doubt in Hayley's abilities that she _would_ find a way to bring him back and kill him a second time. 

"Everything okay, Handsome?" He whipped his head around and nearly fell over in relief when he saw Kim smiling at him. He reached over and pulled her into a hug.

"They were just stealing dirt," he answered. "We can look into it tomorrow."

"Well, I'm glad your search went better," she told him and let him know about her own night, which caused his blood to boil right up to the part where he could just see the man getting out of there as quickly as possible.

"Those kids," Tommy said, shaking his head and Kim smiled.

"Hush," she teased. "We have the best kids in the world. Besides, it was a good plan."

"Better than letting the raptors loose on the guy," Tommy agreed. He had no doubt that the boys would have done it if the guy would have laid one hand on their female mentor unless they decided to handle the problem themselves. Conner especially was protective of the former pink Ranger, especially after nearly losing her the year before.

Kim laughed at the comment before putting on a pouting face. "Ice cream?" She asked and Tommy laughed.

"Of course," he assured her.

"Tommy? Let's tell everyone tomorrow," she said and at his confused look, she continued. "That we set a date. If Rita and Zedd already know we're having a wedding, we should tell our family when it is."

Tommy chuckled at that and nodded as he led the way to get them ice cream. He did glare upwards just in case the trio were still watching, but after that he let himself fall into the ease that he was with the woman he loved, on a wonderful date, and he was going to go get ice cream. Life was good.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I wanted a dating chapter to take away from the serious tone of the story. Especially since the next chapter is going to be a lot more serious and start the second part of the story. And yes, everything should ties itself back together by the end of it. Therefore, I created this chapter to be a sort of barrier. A hopefully good barrier between the first and second parts of the story. Besides, Tommy and Kim really needed a night out. 

Thank you for all of the reviews! I appreciate all of them!


	10. Internships and Revelations

**Chapter 10: Internships and Revelations**

"Kim, try to say the correct phrase in Triforian," Billy instructed, sitting before her. Tommy looked just as annoyed as his fiancé and perhaps only slightly less than Ethan and Kira.

"Billy," she began to argue, but the former Blue would have none of it.

"There are going to be several delegates at your wedding. You must do this correctly," he scolded her. Tommy made a face before looking back at the former Blue Ranger.

"It's Trey," he said. "He's an old friend."

"He is a prince, Tommy," Billy answered, completely serious. "I understand that we know many of them, but it is imperative that we continue to do this in a correct manner."

"Why didn't Trini and Jason have to go through this?" Kim demanded.

Billy ignored the question. "Please just say the phrase, Kim."

"Billy, why didn't Jason and Trini have to go through this?" She tried again.

He looked uncomfortable and was going to try to change the subject again, when Kim's voice got sterner. "Billy?"

When you've known someone since grade school, you tend to get used to certain things. Billy, for instance, knew that tone and he involuntarily was beginning to back down to it. It was the same that she gave when he let others pick on him or made fun of himself. He also knew that she was like a terrier when she grasped onto a subject and wanted an answer which was why, at a third glance to her look, he sighed. "This is Earth, correct?"

"Last time I checked," Kim said, sounding mostly serious. He couldn't blame her for sounding a little sarcastic since, especially coming from him, it was a stupid question. He nodded and decided to quickly continue.

"Considering the majority of this planet does not accept or even know about aliens, Earth would be considered to be unneeded of interaction between this world and others. However, considering how often Earth is attacked, it was decided that there would need to be contact with other planets and a named leader for the planet to exist as it's own entity instead of a territory in the way Guam or Puerto Rico are considered to be United States territories. Considering that we do not have one leader but instead several and due to the problem of many humans not knowing about aliens, the other planets named a leader since there was an absence," Billy said, slipping back a bit into his own way of speaking. Kim closed her eyes and Tommy clenched his teeth as Billy spoke. They knew that he tended to drift into the old speaking habit when he was nervous which meant that whatever he said next, they weren't going to like it. Billy looked in multicolored Ranger's direction. "Tommy, as the longest serving ranger, the leader of two groups of rangers, the one who has met the majority of aliens, you were highly considered. When the mission to the moon took place with the various other red Rangers, it was firmly decided that you were to be their equivalent. The mentoring only added to their claim."

"What?!" Tommy demanded. Kim's eyes widened as Ethan and Kira both winced.

"Please do not ask me to repeat it," Billy begged. He'd hated to have to tell his old friend the first time and he'd been hoping that it was only honorary so he'd never have to let Tommy know. Unfortunately, that hope had been shattered recently. He reminded himself that he really did need to do something nice for Cestro for making sure he knew. If Aquitar hadn't let him know, he wasn't sure what would have happened. Unfortunately, that wasn't going to change how Tommy felt about the whole thing and he wasn't going to like the part Billy was going to have to tell him next either. "There is a little more."

"Like what?" Tommy asked, still seething. Billy decided that going anywhere near the other right now probably would be a good idea. He took a few more steps back and looked at him.

"They believe that Kim, Trini, Jason, Zack, and myself are part of your council. They already decided that I am your ambassador. It was the only way I could get the Power for our newest Rangers. Considering that you are marrying Kim, we need not come up with an excuse for her. However, that leaves Trini, Jason, and Zack," Billy answered. Before Tommy could say anything, Kira quickly cut in having a bad feeling.

"So, why do we have to learn it?" She asked tentatively. Billy gave her a sympathetic look, trying to ease the news onto her, but he was cut off.

"Isn't it obvious?" They all turned to see Conner standing in the doorway, arms folded and looking less than happy. "We're their heirs."

"What?!" Kira asked and Ethan turned to Kim and Tommy.

"Quick! Disown us!" He begged which only served to cause both of their mentors to shoot him a look. Kira gently smacked his arm.

"You've been hanging out with Conner too long," she informed him before turning on her annoyed boyfriend. "And how did you know?"

Conner sighed before looking up. "Because I had the interview today, Billy wanted me to learn it before I left. It seemed weird that he was pushing me to learn it instead of doing the usual 'stay out of the way, Conner' that most people do. So, I asked."

"You're handling this well," Kim mentioned, keeping a hand on Tommy to stop him from throwing the fit that they both wanted to throw. Conner shrugged.

"You should see our dorm room," he answered and turned to Ethan who was glaring at him. "Tell you what, you become the crowned prince of a planet before breakfast and you can trash our room next week. Okay?"

Kira's eyes got wider at that. "Oh god, you are the highest up, aren't you?"

"Yep. Which, by the way, is one of the many reasons I'm not touching anything red and shiny again. Blue and shiny? Sure. Yellow and shiny? Okay. But not red. Red is dangerous," Conner said, not looking happy with the situation at all. Kira got up and hugged him while Ethan put a hand on his shoulder. Kim and Tommy both looked less than pleased, but had the feeling that they weren't going to get out of it.

"Did you try…?" Tommy asked, calming down a bit. He knew that most of his old friends got worried when he got angry. An old reaction left behind from when he'd tried to kill them all. No matter how angry he was, he didn't mean to direct it at his old friend. The former blue Ranger was only letting them know and it was wrong to shoot the messenger. Billy nodded.

"Cestro informed me when he found out that I did not know and he let me know recently that it was not as honorary as I had hoped. However, without Zordon here…" Billy began and looked even more uncomfortable. "They'd send someone here. Our authority over the new Rangers would be lessened."

"We'll do it. We made a promise," Kim assured him and looked at Tommy, who nodded. They both glanced over at Kira, Ethan, and Conner who looked unhappy by the situation. Finally, Kira pulled away and nodded.

"I'll do it. I promised to help," she said. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Ethan giving her a half smile.

"As much as I'm for the disowned idea," he joked before turning serious. "I'd rather we be in charge than someone else. I mean, we've earned it."

They both turned to look at Conner who hadn't joined them yet. The happy-go-lucky mask had been forced down and the side of Conner that had been concealed was showing through: distant, hard, unhappy. He was quiet for a minute before Tommy and Kim nodded to each other. "Conner…" She started, but he shook his head.

"Give me some time?" He asked and both of his mentors nodded. It wasn't that he didn't want to help out, but he'd heard some of the stories that Billy had told the others. He wasn't supposed to have heard them necessarily, but he had. He knew that several of the other planets weren't fond of humans and one thing Conner didn't have was any sort of tact. He'd feel guilty if he managed to start a war because of one stupid comment, even if the alien deserved it.

Kim quickly changed the subject. "How did it go?" She asked, not wanting to hear the answer, really, but knowing that they'd have to find out some time.

"It was a group interview. She was in the room while one of the other people gave it. She just watched our response. I pretended like she wasn't there," Conner answered. He shook his head. "With my resume, I can't figure out how I got this far anyway."

"Be careful," Tommy said, causing them to turn and look at him. He sighed and looked directly at the young man. "I can't think of anything else to say."

* * *

"Yes, thank you. Bye," Conner said and hung up the phone before looking over at an anxious Ethan. "I got the job." 

"Normally, I'd be thrilled for you," Ethan assured him and Conner nodded in understanding. Even he, who had offered to do this, was halfway hoping that they wouldn't hire him and he could get away with saying he tried. "So, uh, don't die."

"Don't plan on it," he assured Ethan. "But promise me this: If I do die, you will make sure that Trent never marries Kira."

"Can I marry her?" Ethan joked and Conner pretended to think about it.

"Yeah sure. Especially if it's the only way to keep her from marrying Trent," Conner continued, though he was grinning. Trent and he had worked out most of their differences, but that was one thing that they'd probably never completely work past. When Ethan looked uncomfortable again, Conner concentrated and the other boy's head shot up. "Don't worry so much, Ethan."

"Don't do that!" Ethan exclaimed, but he looked a little calmer. They often forgot since they were around each other and their mentors so often, but they were still able to sense each other. Conner had just proven that.

"Just keep checking. You should be able to sense me if something goes wrong," Conner said with a slight laugh before looking a bit panicked. "Ethan, come get me if something goes wrong."

"I will. Right after I stop Kira and Doctor O from panicking," he promised. Conner gave him a slight leader-look and Ethan sighed. "And after I control my temper so that I don't race into trouble."

Conner grinned at that before reaching for the phone. "We should call Trent."

"Aren't you going to call Kira?" Ethan asked and Conner shook his head.

"Are you kidding? With that demonstration? Kira's on her way over already. I'll let her know when she gets here," Conner answered. "And Doctor O and Kim will be calling on the communicators, so if you could tell them for me that'd be great."

"Why does Kira put up with you?" Ethan asked and Conner shrugged. Just as Trent seemed to answer, Conner was right and both of their communicators when haywire. Ethan sighed, but answered as his friend had requested. "The idiot's fine."

_"Ethan? What's going on?" _Tommy asked.

"Somebody decided to remind me that I can feel him so I shouldn't worry so much. He got the job," Ethan answered, glaring at Conner's back. If the other boy noticed, and there was no way he couldn't have, he ignored it.

_"Great."_ Their mentor's voice didn't even have a shred of excitement in it, which didn't surprise Ethan. He was pretty sure the Lost Galaxy Rangers had heard the protesting both Kim and Tommy had given before. _"Tell him to be careful."_

"Will do," Ethan assured him, barely finishing up as Conner did before the door slammed open and Kira rushed in. She looked at Ethan, who was pointing at Conner and did a quick once over to make sure he was alright before her eyes narrowed.

"See?" Conner asked, not seeming to notice the danger he was in. Ethan, for his part, had gotten into the further corner placing a chair in front of him for protection. "I'll be fine."

"Not after I'm finished with you!" Kira snapped, lunging at him. The phone fell to the floor silent in all of the noise as Kira's wrath commenced.

* * *

Conner followed the man through the building, only half listening to what he was saying. He'd gotten through the important things, but he wished that the guy would hurry up and lead him to Ms. Leiurus' office like he was supposed to. Still, he just kept quiet, answering at the right time like he'd done so often for his mentors until the man finally headed toward where she was. 

It was obviously her, there was no doubt about it for him. Yet, her golden armor had been traded in for a well-made business suit and her weapon of choice was now a pen. She looked just as he'd expect from someone in her position. The man, who Conner had already forgotten the name of since he was completely human and not a direct threat, turned to her and politely called to her. "Ms. Leiurus, the new intern is here."

She turned around and looked at him, no trace of recognition which matched his own at the minute. She had to have known who he was, unless they were wrong and this woman was only a look-a-like to their foe. Still, if the elder Rangers had ruled that out, then so would he. She looked him over once before putting out her hand. "Sabrina Leiurus."

"Conner McKnight. It's a pleasure, Ma'am," Conner said politely. She nodded and turned to the other man.

"Thank you, Edward. I'll take it from here," she informed the other, who nodded and left. The room was silent for a moment, both just staring at each other and Conner realized that he wasn't sure exactly what he wanted to say.

"Do… do we fight now?" He finally asked and she kept quiet, still looking him over. He did his best not to show just how scared he was at that point. The last time he was near her, she scratched his face and threatened to kill both Ethan and him. Only difference was, this time he didn't have to worry about anyone else. He felt himself standing ready and waited.

"No," she finally answered. "That's not why I brought you here."

Conner's hand moved to the other, pleased that he'd paid attention this time when Hayley and Billy were explaining things.

_"We don't know why she hired you," Hayley informed him. "So, we needed to set up something different this time so that we don't fall into the same problem we did last time. For all we know, it could be shielded."_

_"Therefore, Hayley and I have set up the transporter to respond to you. All you need to do is say 'transport' and it will do so. If you are unable to talk, tap you hand as close to the communicator as possible," Billy instructed. Conner gave him a look._

_"They took it last time," he reminded them and Hayley nodded._

_"It doesn't necessarily need to be there. And if you take it off or it's taken off, we'll transport you out of there regardless," she told him. She handed him his communicator back and tried to smile. "Are you sure?"_

_"I'll be fine, Hayley. Thanks," he assured her and headed out._

Conner's hands dropped to his sides a bit more as he waited. He was ready as he'd assured his elders, but he wanted to know why she'd chosen him. "Then why?"

"You don't think you're qualified?" She asked in amusement.

"I saw the other resumes. They were better," Conner answered. "So, why?"

"Two reasons, really. First, you interest me. I've never seen such an unusual red Ranger before. You're still that self-sacrificing leader, but you're… different. I'm curious to know why. They all must know you're here since this was a long term plan which means that you didn't just run to stop me on your own," she informed him. Conner glared a bit, not just from her words but from knowing how true they were. The other Reds brought it up often enough as did nearly every female Ranger. While the female Rangers thought of it as a desirable trait, it was well known that he was unusual more that likely due to his mentor being a Pink. It kept him out of some trouble, but it was still a little embarrassing and definitely not something he wanted an archenemy to know about. Still, he managed to calm himself down enough to look at her as she continued. "Secondly, I don't have to hide who I am around you. You know who I am and I know who you are. We both know why the other is here. I don't have to worry if Chel calls because you know who he is. And as I said, I know why you're here."

"Then why…?" He asked, having guessed that she'd know he was spying. He just couldn't figure out why he'd gotten hired with her knowing that.

"It adds some fun to my day," she answered. She brought herself up and Conner was immediately reminded of the fact that she was a warrior first and foremost. One that, to his surprise, put the looks and posture Elsa had had when she was evil to shame. "It keeps me on my toes."

She walked toward him until they were less than a foot away from each other. Conner managed to keep his calm as well as could be expected. "Oh."

"Now, Conner, you just do your job right and we'll pretend to get along splendidly, won't we?" She asked and he nodded once.

"Yeah," he answered and she smiled at him. It wasn't a nice smile.

"There's a good boy," she said.

* * *

Kim led the two hyperactive children down into the basement where Hayley and Billy were arguing once again. Tommy insisted that as long as they weren't so bad that Neen was making up a song to go along with the arguing that they should just fight it out. It was apparently how they dealt with things. Kim agreed, but there were definitely times when it got on her nerves a bit. Ethan had tried to explain it to her by telling her that geniuses got that way around each other and that had gone a little better. Jera and Ethan, after all, tended to get the same way around each other, though not to the degree that Hayley and Billy did and certainly without the sexual tension. 

She turned to the two kids and looked at them seriously. "Now, what aren't you supposed to do?"

"We should not bother Papa or Hayley," Neen answered. "And we should try to keep the raptors away from them."

"Good girl. Dante, did you call home?" Kim asked and Dante shrugged.

"She's not home yet," he answered. "I'll call her later, okay?"

"Just keep an eye on the time," Kim instructed, glancing at her wrist to keep track of the time herself. It was only twelve in the afternoon, well, a bit past twelve. When it reached near five, she'd remind Dante again. She headed over to Hayley and Billy, ignoring their arguing and trying to keep her voice calm. "How's it going?"

"It's shielded, just like we thought it would be," Hayley answered. "I'm working on trying to find a way to make audio possible since she might not have thought about that. Billy wants to find a way around the shield so that we can see what's going on."

"Any progress for either?" She asked.

"No," they snapped at the same time and Kim held her hands up.

"Sorry I asked," she muttered. She knew that Conner would have gotten out of there if it was too dangerous and she'd worry until she got home. Still, she couldn't let it affect everything she did. She sat down next to the two kids and pat Red when he laid his head on her shoulder. "I'm going to play with you guys. Hayley and Billy aren't playing very nicely."

Neen looked up at her. "I believe they need a nap," she said seriously and Kim nodded just as seriously back as they continued their game.

* * *

Elsa rubbed her eyes. It shouldn't have been this difficult. She was used to the usual problem student or the normal fight. She just didn't expect them to be the same people who were supposed to be saving the world. Yes, Conner, Kira, and Ethan had gotten detention when the year started out for them, but they weren't Rangers yet and the only time they got it after that was when she gave it to them for ditching, even though she knew why. That's what evil did. 

"I know you're worried. We're all worried. We're going to be worried about him until this whole thing is over," Elsa said, making sure she was completely in 'principal' mode at the moment. "But you can't let that take over your lives. You still have to go to class and pay attention in it."

"Yes, Principal Randall," they answered.

"And you," she said, turning to the worst of the offenders. "You actually need to teach your class!"

"Yes, Principal Randall," Tommy answered just as the other four had. "But Amber did a great job, didn't she?"

"It's not her job, Dr. Oliver. She's a student," she answered, reminding him of their working relationship. "Conner knew what he was getting himself into. You four voted for him to be able to do it and you knew he'd be capable. Why are you acting like this?"

"We're just worried," Ben said softly. "He went to her. She doesn't seem to be the nicest of people. Right, Seth?"

"'I met a lady in the meads,/Fully beautiful- a faery's child,/Her hair was long, her foot was light/And her eyes were wild.'" Seth quietly quoted in response. When they turned to look at him, the young poet shrugged. "_La Belle Dame Sans Merci_. Keats."

Tommy nodded. "It fits."

"How does that poem end?" Jera asked and Seth looked at the ground.

"It's sort of implied that he dies," Seth answered. Jera hit him over the head.

"Stop quote death poems. Quote something that ends happily," she snapped, hugging herself in worry. Tara sat next to her and offered a small smile.

"We don't know that he's dead. And Doctor Oliver would know," she reminded her teammates, causing them all to turn around and look at their teacher who rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"There," Elsa said. "You know he'd not dead. So, please pay attention in class. And teach class. I don't ask that much out of you."

"Yes, Principal Randall," they said in unison.

"Good. And the next person to slack off, I will put in detention. No, Doctor Oliver, I don't mean you'll have detention duty. I mean detention. Understand?" She demanded and they all looked sheepish.

"Yes, Principal Randall."

* * *

"I thought class got over an hour ago," Kim said as Ethan and Kira made their way into the house. She quickly noticed that they were each carrying quite a few bags and hurried to help them. Before she could take too many, however, she felt someone else helping her and glanced up to see Jason. "What are you doing here?" 

"Picking up the groceries," he answered, motioning to the bags. "I asked Kira and Ethan to help me out."

"Umm… Jason?" She started. "I know this might be a new concept for you, but there are stores in Angel Grove."

"No stores that sell Asian items," he answered happily. "At least not the stuff Trini wanted. She was specific down to the brand."

"Cravings set in, huh?" Kim asked and Jason nodded.

"Yep. But the Power affects it," he answered. "It's like it's protecting the baby a little more, but it needs energy to do it."

Kim's eyes widened. "You mean the baby might come out with the Power already?"

"Trini doesn't think so. She thinks that it's coming more from her than from the baby," Jason answered. "Extra protection. Sort of like how the womb is insulated. With the trouble we get into, we're happy for it."

"Been reading the books Billy gave you?" Kim teased and Jason grinned as he nodded. "That doesn't explain why you were using my students."

"Oh, well, I wanted to get the stuff as quickly as possible so I called Kira and Ethan for help," he said cheerfully, pulling money out of his wallet as he did so.

"Get your own pack mules," Tommy said as he entered. "My students."

"I'm guessing by Mr. Cheerful's attitude we haven't heard from Conner?" Jason asked and Kim shook her head, a little amused at his guess. Tommy just glared as his friend who put his hands up. "They agreed."

"Ethan also agreed to follow you to Vegas. You're not making a good point," Tommy answered and Kim just shook her head toward Jason who sighed, but dropped it. A quick look to Kira and Ethan caused them to stop the tirade they were about to go on too. Everyone was just stressed.

"Aren't you supposed to be at school?" Jason asked and Tommy nodded once.

"Lunch," he answered. He didn't say anything else and Jason was guessing he hadn't driven home.

"Conner should be home soon, right? Like in a few hours?" Kira asked and Kim nodded. "Good. I don't like the waiting."

Jason looked at Tommy and Kim, grinning a bit. "You two ready for the wedding?"

"Except for the dignitaries, yes," Tommy answered. "Goddamned…"

"Which can't you get?" Jason asked and Tommy sighed.

"Sardarian, Tardiarish, and Triforian," Tommy asked and Jason snickered a bit. "It's not funny!"

"Like hell it's not! You _knew _a Triforian," he answered, still looking a bit smug. "And you're having problems with it. The only thing worse would be not knowing Aquitian."

"Neen's a good teacher," Ethan and Kira said at the same time before wincing and looking at Tommy who was glaring at them.

"'Happened to know it?' 'Look, we're further than Dr. O. Can we go play Raptorball?'" He demanded. "You both got out of practice using that!"

"And we bought Neen a giant ice cream cone for being such a great teacher. For the record, Dante's bilingual now. Just so you know," Ethan answered calmly and Tommy groaned. He couldn't leave any of them alone for a minute.

"She taught him Aquitian?" Tommy groaned and Ethan shrugged.

"As well as she could. It's not an easy language to learn," the younger man answered. "I kept saying 'eat the shark' instead of 'see the shark'. Neen finally taught me the right click, but that would have been embarrassing."

Tommy grumbled and headed out of the room, leaving the others in their own thoughts. Kim finally shook her head and sighed before heading back down to see how Billy and Hayley were doing. The way the two geniuses and her fiancé were acting, she might have to kill one of them. At least Billy and Hayley were doing something useful with their annoying her. She was less likely to commit homicide.

* * *

Conner finished typing the page, quickly looking it over to make sure that he hadn't screwed up. Not for the first time, he was thankful he had Ethan for a friend considering the other boy had taught him to be more proficient with the keyboard. He sighed and leaned back for a minute, collecting his thoughts as he looked over at the stack that he needed to continue. He felt two hands clench his shoulders and his head whipped around to see Sabrina looking at him in amusement. "Well, at least you finished the letter." 

"I was figuring out how to do the next project," he said stubbornly, not surprised when she laughed. He would have argued it further, but he thought better of it. "Did you need help with something?"

"I have a meeting. I need you to answer calls," she instructed. "I'll just be in the other room, but I don't want to be interrupted."

"Okay," Conner agreed. She nodded once at that and slipped into the other room. Conner stayed at the desk for a few minutes before heading to the door and listening in. He pressed his ear to the door carefully, just as Jason and Zack had taught him so they could find out things that Kim and Doctor O hadn't wanted them to find out.

_"Well?"_ Conner knew the difference between Sabrina and Scorpina's voices. She might have been in costume still, but she was definitely in warrior mode.

_"They finished with the samples."_ Conner's blood turned cold for a minute as he recognized Chelone's voice. Being in the same building with both of them didn't make him feel better, but this was why he'd taken the job.

_"Good. And the breeding?" _She demanded.

_"On schedule. Everything is in order,"_ he answered.

_"Good," _she answered. _"Send Chupacre. Send him to the school. It will be harder for them to turn into Rangers if there are others watching."_

_"Yes, Milady,"_ he answered. Conner moved away from the door, praying his communicator worked. If there was ever a time for Billy and Hayley's stuff to go right, now was it. He just hoped that they'd stay busy for a minute or two so he could do this. He headed to the desk and kept his voice low.

"Guys? They're planning to attack the school so the Rangers can't morph. Tell Elsa…" That was the last bit he got out before a shot of electricity hit his wrist, destroying the morpher. Forgetting the mess he was in, he frowned up at his boss. "Why'd you have to do that? They're going to have my head for breaking another one!"

"Mmm," Scorpina answered and she was definitely Scorpina. Conner had no doubt that that was a note on the door that instructed others not to interrupt. "If I don't take it first."

"For what?" Conner asked, trying to sound smooth about it instead of terrified. She still had that Stinger out and he couldn't help but wonder if it was just a sword or if it was poisoned. Not that it matter if she shot him anyway, but he wanted to know all of the different ways it could kill him at the moment. None of it would affect an active, suited Ranger that much, but it would affect him now. Then again, if she did behead him, then poison and electricity wasn't really something to work about.

"Don't play games with me," she answered. "Eavesdropping doesn't isn't your strong point, Conner. You're not much of a spy."

"Sorry?" He offered, wondering how well the desk would work as a shield if she started shooting. He'd only need it for a couple of seconds, hopefully, assuming that Hayley and Billy's equations were right. He really, really hoped they were.

"It's too late for me to change things," she informed him. "So, I guess you have this one. Don't bother waiting to get pulled out, I changed the frequency."

_Maybe if I never go back, I won't get pummeled. Because they're going to be in a bad mood already from the frequency change when I hand over the communicator I broke again. I wonder how Tahiti is this time of the year. _The thought ran through his head as she headed toward him. He tried to figure out if he could make it around her if he ran and realized that when he stood up, she'd probably shoot him down. "So, what now? You said you knew why I was here…"

At this point, just staying alive seemed like the best of plans. "I could kill you," she said easily. He tried not to gulp as he realized that he'd have to use his super speed at this point to dodge the shot. She brought it up so it wasn't aimed at him. "But, I'm not going to. Because I get something out of this."

"You do?" Conner asked, looking confused.

"Well, you figured out my plan and you'll do it again because dangerous or not, you have to help them," she said calmly.

"That's what I get. So, what do you get?" He asked nervously and a smirk came onto her face as she leaned down to whisper in his ear before she turned around and left.

"You," she answered. "I own you."

* * *

Elsa pulled the five aside when it happened, having been prepared when Conner gave his mini-report. She was not about to tell them that he'd been caught and was probably dead. Kim was already dealing with that and she couldn't have both mentors and an entire team of Rangers not able to do their job. She pushed back her own tears and led them into her office, nodding for them to change. "I arranged it so that no one would be around," she assured them. "Go ahead." 

They quickly morphed and headed out the door to fight off the new monster and the Tarantumen. Tommy had given them a few pointers and told them to let him know if they were having difficulties. He mentioned that Kim would know, but Elsa quickly cut in that they were there and could handle it. The teens nodded before they left. Tommy turned to Elsa. "What's going on?"

"What are you talking about?" Elsa asked and Tommy gave her a look.

"Why couldn't they tell Kim? What's going on?" He demanded.

"Sit down," she told him. He did so and she looked nervous, not wanting to be the one to tell him. "We knew they were going to strike the school because Conner reported in. He managed to get out the location and the plan, even my name since he knew I could help."

"What happened?" Tommy asked and Elsa forced herself to continue.

"He was shot, Tom," she answered. Tommy's eyes widened and Elsa nodded. "It's possible he's alive, but…"

"Probably not," Tommy finished. He ran a hand through his hair and looked around, trying to process that. "I need…"

"To stay here," Elsa insisted. "The kids need you and I already know your fiancé is breaking down a bit at home. We don't know for sure, Tommy, he might be alive. There might be a reason. If there's one thing other than getting into bad situations that Conner's got, it's getting out of them."

"I never…" Tommy started and Elsa literally shook him.

"I'll slap you next if you don't start paying attention. Because if you don't, we're going to have four more funerals by the end of this!" She snapped. Tommy's eyes hardened and he nodded, going completely into warrior mode. Elsa nodded back in response, knowing he'd break down later. For now, they just needed to get past the day.

* * *

Conner had sat there for a minute, waiting, before he tapped his wrist as the other two had instructed. When he felt the pain, however, and no transportation, he looked down at his hand finally and noticed just how burned it really was. Adrenaline fleeting, it was also starting to hurt, badly. He pulled himself up and headed into his boss' office, ignoring the irony of asking her for time off when she'd caused the problem. "Ms. Leiurus?" 

"Yes, Conner?" She asked, looking completely like Sabrina again. It was unnerving how she could do that.

"Can I go home? I think I have a third degree burn," he informed her and she glanced at his wrist.

"Of course," she answered calmly, not bothering to pretend not to know how he had it. No one could overhear them. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay," Conner said and headed out the door. Once he was out of the building, he hid in one of the alleys, making sure it was empty, and pressed a few buttons on his cell-phone that Ethan had messed with. It wasn't as strong or as powerful as Hayley and Billy's work, but it got the job done. He felt the transporter pull him away.

* * *

Kim had given up on crying by this point, though she wasn't doing much better. Neen and Dante were asleep in the corner as Blue had draped herself around them. Kira and Ethan weren't doing much better than Kim, but were controlling it enough to watch out for the new Rangers and to make sure that Conner didn't show up on the scans. Hayley and Billy were still in work mode, determined to get something of Conner back: either the boy or his body. Jason was comforting Kim to the best of his ability. Ethan looked over at Kim. "He's fine." 

She looked at him incredulously. "How do you know that?"

"We thought he died when the house collapsed. It didn't," he started.

"We thought he died in the Megazord with Ethan, but he didn't," Kira added.

"We thought he was dead with the gem," Ethan added. "He wasn't and he pressed the right button to get out us out of Scorpina's lair last time. So, he isn't dead. He's too lucky to be dead. He's just… busy."

"You think," Kim started. "You two have been throwing out 'I'm here' feeling and he hasn't been responding with it."

"He probably hasn't noticed we've done it," Ethan argued. "If I was being shot at, I wouldn't. He's okay. Well, he's alive."

"Ethan…" Kim started and Ethan's look darkened.

"He's alive," he said sternly. He glanced over at Neen and Dante and sighed, hoping he was right. They weren't stupid. They'd figured out what was going on, though Neen didn't want to believe it and Dante had said he wouldn't believe it if he didn't see a body like on T.V. He couldn't see the dried tears on Neen anymore nor did Dante's expression look quite so lost. Time and sleep had done that for them. He looked over at Kira who nodded back at him, believing his words. They'd let Trent know since Conner would have wanted them to, but they didn't want to even really think about it beyond that.

He blinked a couple of times and looked at the screen, confused, as the readings looked weird. "How are they doing, Kira?"

"Megazord. Why?" She asked.

"I'm going to check on this then…" Ethan started, but his eyes got wide. "Oh no."

Before Kira could ask what the problem was, Conner materialized near the ceiling, falling to the ground in a pile. He groaned at that and looked over at his friend. "Now I know what you meant by 'not finished'."

"Conner?!" Kira exclaimed as Ethan groaned. They rushed over and helped their teammate up, halfway ignore whatever injuries he had. Kim had stood up herself and Jason leaned into his own communicator.

"Elsa? Tommy? He's alive," he said quickly before turning to the younger Ranger before they could respond.

Conner moved past them for a minute, heading over to Billy and Hayley. Sheepishly, he held out the charred remains of his communicator and looked ashamed. "I broke it."

Hayley stared at him for a minute, not sure what to say to that. Billy, on the other hand, took it and set it aside, putting a hand on the young man's shoulder. "Thank the Power you're alive."

"Why didn't you do what we told you to?" Hayley asked and Conner held up his hand which got everyone's attention. They started to swarm, but went flying in different directions until only Hayley and Billy were near him again. Conner's eyes widened as Red stood in front of him, making a threatening noise at the others to allow the geniuses to get to work on fixing his partner. Hayley and Billy quickly went to work on Conner's wrist to the best of their ability and not necessarily using normal materials. They promised him that within an hour he'd be back to normal. Red nudged him gently before finally getting out of the way, acting like his normal self once more.

"Are the new Rangers okay?" He asked, turning his attention to the screens. Kira and Ethan nodded.

"Yeah, they're finishing up. They'll all probably be back here soon," Ethan answered. Kira nodded in agreement. They'd deal more with everything later. Kim stared at the red Ranger in front of her.

"You got shot!" She snapped and he nodded, holding up his hand to show her it was better. "I thought you were dead!"

"I'm not," Conner said helpfully, slightly glaring at his near-snickering teammates.

"Conner…" she nearly growled.

"I'm okay, Kim. See? One piece," he assured her. "I just hope it works that way next time."

Everyone in the room froze at that, even Kira and Ethan, as he said the words. "Next time?" Kira finally asked softly. Conner turned and pulled her into an embrace with a slight smile.

"We're Rangers. It's what we do. If I hadn't gotten the information, more people could have died. Like the Newbies," he told her. "I have to go back."

Kira sighed, but nodded knowing he was right. Ethan grinned at him. "Don't worry. I'll take care of things around here."

"Dude, you didn't let her near Trent, did you?" Conner joked and Kira glanced up, knowing that she probably wanted to hear this.

"Nope. Just as I promised," Ethan answered. "Do anything and everything to keep her from going to Trent."

"Oh God, you married Ethan," Conner said turning to Kira whose eyes got wide. She elbowed Conner in the gut and turned around, knocking Ethan's feet out from under him, causing the former Blue to go down before nodding to herself.

"I can make my own choices, thank you!" Kira snapped and both boys recoiled from the look. Jason and Billy both snickered as they'd been on that side of a Yellow's wrath before.

"Okay, okay. We got it, Kira," Ethan muttered.

"No more plotting," Conner promised. She helped him up and turned to Ethan, a slight smile on her face.

"Marry you?" She asked and Ethan shrugged.

"Why not?" He answered, though he was grinning back.

"Are you alright?" All three turned to see Tommy standing in the doorway, looking less than pleased. Conner took a step forward.

"Yep. Just shot in the wrist. Billy and Hayley took care of it," he answered before looking stubbornly at his mentor. Kira may have been the most stubborn, but that didn't mean the boys weren't at all, just not as bad as their female teammate. "And I _am_ going back."

"_You're_ the sensible one?" He demanded and Conner nodded.

"It needs to be done," he answered. "I'll try to be more careful."

Tommy didn't know what else to say to that, though there was guilt in his eyes for letting Conner do it instead. Teacher or not, it was no secret that Tommy would have rather been the one to do it instead of letting the young man do it. Still, he recognized that look of determination and dropped it, just as unhappy as his fiancé.

"So, I've been thinking about it," Conner said slowly. "And I'm still not happy about being an heir to Earth, but if I can spy on Scorpina, go to school, be a mentor, and be a Power Ranger leader, then I think I might be able to be diplomatic enough not to tell any ambassadors to go screw themselves, so I guess you've gone a lead heir."

"World's doomed," Ethan joked. He headed over to Neen and Dante, gently shaking them and surprised they'd slept through the noise. "Hey guys? Conner's back."

"Papa said he was shot," Neen informed him. Ethan tried not to laugh, but pointed at Conner who waved at the kids.

"Just a flesh wound," he assured her, holding up his hand. Both kids rushed him and Neen even kissed his hand to make it feel better. "So, you're looking at the new heir of Earth."

"What's that mean?" Dante asked and Neen thought for a minute before answering.

"It is like a prince," she tried to explain to which Dante nodded.

"I don't gotta call you anything, do I?" He asked, making a face which Conner shared.

"No," he answered. "Just Conner."

"'Kay," he answered. "I don't see what the big deal is."

"Speaking of which," Billy said, heading back over before Conner could answer back. "We don't have long until the said wedding and there are still several more languages to learn."

The chorus of groans could be heard outside as Elsa and Mercer headed toward the house. Both of them merely laughed.

* * *

**Author's Note:** First off, by languages, I mean simple phrases. You know, "Hi." "How are you?" "Please don't blow up my planet." Things like that. Certain planets: Aquitar, Triforia, and others that they're closer to they have learned more than that, but for the most part, it's simple things. Considering I have had to learn languages, two of them actually other than English, I understand that languages have complex rules in the former of grammar and pronunciation. Considering it's something I would have wondered about, I figured I'd let all of you know that I wasn't insinuating that they knew too much of the language. 

Second, and far less important: Keats. With Seth, there will be various quotes from poetry and possibly other English works. Usually the author's name will be within the chapter itself, but possibly not the work. If I use it, I will put both the author's name and work in the notes if it's not already stated in the chapter itself. One, because it's not my work and two, so if anyone is so inclined, they can run off and find the poem on the internet. Just thought I'd give you guys a heads up in case.

Third, I am so sorry I've been taking forever on writing. Life didn't seem to calm down after Christmas like I planned. So, I apologize for the time lapse. However, I felt guilty about it, so you get two chapters at once. I hope that makes up for it. Even a little? Maybe?

Fourth, thank you for continuing to read this and for your reviews. I appreciate all of it.


	11. Diplomatic Weddings

**Chapter 11: Diplomatic Weddings**

Ethan and Conner stood up straight as Tommy walked by them, standing at attention as they often did when their mentor was giving them a lecture like this. Of course, it wasn't necessarily out of respect as much as they were just being obnoxious, but still. "Alright, what are you two not going to do?" He instructed.

"We are not going to insult any of the dignitaries no matter how big of an ass they are," Conner answered. "We are not going to use our powers on them. We're not going to throw things at them. We aren't going to use slang when greeting them. We're not going to tell them that they should all go to hell for making us do this!"

Tommy glanced over at Ethan. "Your primary job?"

"Let him greet them and then keep Conner away from everyone," Ethan repeated, grinning his head off. Conner had been complaining all week which was similar to his primary mentor's rants and ravings. Kim, however, was Tommy's problem. Conner was Ethan and Kira's.

"Good. Make sure you do your ties properly," Tommy finished which caused both of the younger men to roll their eyes at their mentor. Jason, Zack, and Billy shook their heads and sighed, which Dante promptly imitated. Rocky and Adam were coming by later than them, fortunately since the dressing room was so small. Of course, Ethan and Conner were insistent that it was less of a politeness toward the other men and more a way to stay away from the arriving diplomats.

"Relax, Tommy," Zack said, leaning back in his chair calmly. He'd been ready first and had spent the rest of the time relaxing. He had a cheeky grin on his face, to his friend's annoyance as well. "It'll be fine. We're going to have other Rangers to help out."

Tommy gave him a look. "Have you ever met half of them, Zack? We had to call the Time Force Rangers and talk them into coming back to keep an eye on Eric. For the good of the future, or whatever bull Wes convinced them with. So, if we're lucky, that'll mean that Trip, Katie, and Lucas will be doing it since Jen and Wes will be 'reconnecting'."

"Lucas is bringing Nadira," Jason mentioned and Tommy nearly growled.

"Trip and Katie will be doing it. Unless they've finally started dating!" Tommy snapped and Zack snickered. Jason shot him a look and turned back to his best friend, trying to be soothing at the moment.

"They have, but they're dedicated to their job. None of them, not even Wes and Jen, are going to slack off," Jason answered. "Besides, Taylor will keep an eye on him. She just has to worry about Cole too."

"Let Red do it," Conner joked. "Cole won't move through the ceremony."

Billy gently smacked Conner upside the head. "Do not give him ideas."

"Seriously, Dr. O," Conner assured him, plastering as much of a reassuring look on his face as he possibly could. "Seth and Ben promised to make sure nothing evil got in and Jera with Tara are acting as semi-ushers. They'll make sure that anyone who starts anything has to leave until they calm down. We prepared for this."

"You're calm," Tommy said and Ethan rolled his eyes.

"Once again, our dorm room is trashed," he answered. "Our neighbors are starting to ask questions."

"They'll get over it," Conner assured him before turning back to his mentor. "So, Doctor O, you ready for this?"

Tommy nodded and then sighed. "This is supposed to be the happiest day of my life. So why do I have such a bad feeling about the whole thing?"

Jason patted his back. "Bro, it's you and Kim. You two attract trouble. Just remember that you're already officially married and you're doing this for the other Rangers and the good of Earth. You already had the happiest day thing."

"So, it's okay that I feel like this is one great big annoyance?" Tommy asked and Conner grinned.

"Dude, I was with Kim earlier," he reminded his mentor. "Other than seeing the other Rangers, she's not happy. This was supposed to be a fun wedding."

"Things change and don't call me 'dude'," Tommy grumbled and finished getting ready. "There. Now, best behavior. Zack, that means you! I can't have my Economic Advisor running amok."

"You got it, your Kingship," Zack joked. At Tommy's look, he just grinned. Tommy nodded once to Jason who smacked Zack upside the head this time. Zack turned to him. "Jason…"

"Military advisor," Jason reminded him. "Perk."

"How come he gets a perk?" Zack complained. Tommy rolled his eyes.

"Guys," he pleaded. "I'm not asking for much. I just want a wedding that is going to turn into an intergalactic war. That's it."

"What if it's a small war?" Conner asked and Tommy glared at him. "Shutting up now."

* * *

Kat entered back into the dressing room, her long pink dress running across the floor as she quickly sat back down to relax for a minute. Kim glanced over at her and gave a quick smile. "How is it out there?"

"Bad," she answered. "But we're prepared. Cassie, Ashley, Kendrix, and Maya are on Red patrol. I still don't know how they would manage to cause problems, but it never hurts to be prepared. Time Force promised to keep an eye on things with Wild Force to make sure no one causes any incidents. Personally, I think it's because various members of those two teams might be the group causing trouble which is why they volunteered. There is absolutely no way they could set up karaoke this time and the menu is without both chicken and fish with a definite place for groups to get vegetarian only without feeling they didn't get as much to eat. Rocky told me that Tommy is still in the dressing room and has no plans to run off. Ernie was able to come this time, so we needn't worry about Hayley having to do the catering."

"I still can't believe he knew," Kim muttered and Kat laughed.

"I still can't believe we don't know he knew," she said in response. "Face it, Kim, we weren't exactly as secretive around him and he let us get away with a lot."

Kim sighed, but nodded. "I suppose."

Kat glanced over at the other girls. "So, how's it going with Trin…"

"It won't fit!" Trini screeched. The other girls whirled around to find Trini half in her dress, tears falling down her face. Kira, how had been helping, looked sympathetically over at Kim and shrugged, not sure what to do.

"Trini, calm down," Kim said soothingly. "We'll get you in it."

"I'm a blimp," she mourned and Neen looked over.

"Aunt Trini," she began, not noticing how the rest of her aunts and surrogate sister were heading toward her slowly to shush her. "You are not full of hot air and in the sky."

Everyone paused at that, even Trini as she looked at Neen's serious face. "But I'm huge!" She whimpered.

"No. You are bigger in the tummy, but that is where the baby is," Neen said, causing Trini to both laugh and cry. Poor Neen just felt confused about the whole thing. Kira finally caught up with her and pulled her aside.

"Neen, haven't you ever been around a pregnant woman before?" She asked and Neen nodded. "Then you should know better."

"Why?" She asked and Kira sighed.

"Because women get emotional when they're pregnant and cry more," she explained and the child looked confused. Kira quickly caught on and sighed. "You've only been around pregnant Aquitians, haven't you?"

"Aff… yeah," she answered.

"How do they get?" Kira asked.

"They laugh more and act childish," Neen answered. "They also hiccup bubbles."

"Hiccup bubbles?" Kira asked, not sure if she could believe that until Neen nodded solemnly. "Okay. Well, humans get emotional so they go from happy, to sad, to anger very quickly and they throw up instead of hiccupping."

Neen looked a little disgusted by that but then nodded just as solemnly as before in understanding. "Uncle Tideus said he was surprised that there was a species left after Papa talked to him about babies."

Kira laughed a bit as, from what little communication she had with the yellow Aquitian, it did seem to be something he would mutter to a considered family member. She took Neen's hand and walked the girl back to Trini, who was now in her Matron of Honor dress, thanks to the other girls and safety pins, and looking much happier. Hayley headed over, wearing the blue dress that Kim had promised her, and finished putting the flowers in Trini's hair. Kim had finished getting ready fifteen minutes before. The bride smiled as she looked at them. "There. That looks much better," she assured them. "Everyone looks how they're supposed to. Unlike last time."

"Still, that was clever," Hayley mentioned with a smile. "Green for Trini and purple for the rest of us. That way, no one got their color."

"I had to wear white, Hayley," Kim said. "And Tommy nearly had a hissy fit for having to wear a black tux. He's much happier this time."

"We all are," Aisha assured her. "And Trini's dress really stands out."

Kim nodded as Trini's dress was just a little fancier than the others. Kira had asked if she had to do anything else due to the ambassadors thinking she was an heiress and Kim insisted she didn't. After all, they were taking the name nothing else.

_"We're not happy about it anyway, Kira. I'm not about to change my look to make some snotty aliens happy," Kim snapped._

_"Okay. What if they say something?" Kira asked, sounding worried. Kim grinned at that._

_"Tell them to take it up with the Advisor of External Affairs," Kim instructed._

_"Zack's the Economic Advisor, Jason's the Military Advisor, Billy's the Ambassador, and Trini's the Diplomatic Advisor. Who's the Advisor of External Affairs?" Kira asked, hoping she hadn't forgotten something as Kim's grin got larger._

_"The next Ranger to piss me off," she answered. Kira had a sneaking suspicion that by the end of the wedding, every Ranger was going to be the Advisor of something or another._

All three teens had been told not to try to try to convince the dignitaries that others were the heirs and not them. When she'd noticed that Conner had snapped his fingers in dismay, Kira knew that Seth had been rescued from a situation he hadn't yet known about. Kim stepped forth and looked at her friends. "Alright. It's one day. Just one day. I know we give the guys a hard time about things, but let's face it. Some of us are just as bad as they are with our tempers. So, annoying as they get, just try to grin and bear it. Other than that, let's have a wedding!"

There was a resounding lack of energetic cheers as they all muttered and headed out the door. Kim sighed and followed. She wasn't that excited either.

* * *

Tommy was barely out of the room, heading toward the stage when he was nearly ran over by the Triforian and two other species he didn't even recognize. For his part, Trey did look apologetic which told Tommy that the prince had said something or another that had angered the two other diplomats. "What's the meaning of this?!" One of them, which looked to be reptilian, demanded. Tommy glanced over at Trey who looked even more embarrassed.

"Uh… it's a wedding?" Tommy guessed, not sure what they wanted him to say. He knew they weren't serving alligator and he couldn't think of anything that looked like it was made from reptiles unless he was upset about the raptors and if that was the case, they could deal. The raptors were family and besides, Kim would never let him hear the end of it if he ushered the raptors out.

"I explained how the wedding was going to work," Trey explained carefully. That made sense considering that, similar to the Aquitians, he'd gotten a video of Jason and Trini's wedding. He'd been invited, but he'd been too busy at the time.

"How _dare_ you have a Triforian wedding!" The reptilian snapped. Tommy held up his hands.

"Whoa. We're not having a Triforian wedding. We're having a human wedding. Look, I'm sure they're similar but…" Tommy began, but he was cut off.

"Similar! Identical!" The reptile's companion, a woman with plant-like features retorted. Tommy's fist began to clench. He really didn't want to deal with this right now and he was supposed to get getting to the end of the aisle so Kim could come down and they could marry like sensible Rangers. Before he could say anything, he heard Ethan's voice instead though he didn't understand a word he was saying. The younger man had rushed over and was speaking directly to the reptitlian male who was nodded. After a minute, Ethan switched into another language as he spoke the woman and both dignitaries calmed down and spoke back to him. By the end of it, even Trey looked calmer as the duo left. Tommy turned on Ethan.

"I know you can speak Triforian and Aquitian pretty well, but since when you know how to speak other languages?" Tommy demanded and Ethan grinned.

"Since I overheard the argument and remembered that we can show them various human customs on the internet. They'll look later if they care. And since Cestro was telepathetically telling me what to say," Ethan answered. Cestro nodded once from where he was before turning back around. Tommy relaxed.

"Good. Let's get up there," he said and Ethan nodded as they headed toward the door. Conner had one hand on Dante and the other hand ran through his hair to make sure it looked right. Jason and Zack were quietly betting on which species would interrupt the vows with Rocky and Adam throwing in various suggestions. Billy was standing apart from them, looking less than amused. Jason glanced up and nodded to Tommy.

"Ready?" He asked as Tommy glanced over his white tuxedo to make sure that it was still clean. He nodded back and they headed down the aisle. As the men went down first, Conner made sure that Dante wasn't distracted too badly as he walked. The last thing they wanted was for him to lose the rings. To his surprise, Dante stayed at a good pace though he was greeting every row as he walked by them. Conner tried not to snicker when some of the dignitaries looked confused to what the boy was saying. One of them, a slightly furred, darker, older woman with leathery wings that went from her arm to her side like a bat made sure to catch him when he slipped trying to look back at one of the other dignitaries that had answered him. She set him upright and smiled, patting his head and handing him the ring that had slipped off the pillow when he'd tripped. Conner quickly murmured a thank you to her before hurrying Dante up to the front. He'd be more polite about it later.

Captain Mitchell nodded to each of them as he was presiding over the ceremony as they had wanted one of the former mentors to do it and he seemed to be the best choice. They waited and glanced at the door as the bridesmaids came in next. Those with one of them as a girlfriend looked on approvingly. Ethan looked a little sullen, but a small nudge and grin from Zack made him feel better. Glancing at Adam and Rocky also reminded him he wasn't alone.

Trini took her time headed down the aisle, last of the bridesmaids, to which no one said a word and finally the wedding march started. Neen proudly walked down the aisle carrying her basket and making sure not to go to fast. Kimberly followed as Mercer led her down the aisle acting as father of the bride for the ceremony. They realized they were slowing down further as Neen began handing some of the petals to dignitaries and set others gently on the floor. After a minute, Mercer tapped the girl lightly on the shoulder and whispered something to her which had Neen running down the aisle, throwing petals left and right as she went. Kim turned to Mercer.

"What did you say to her?" She whispered and he chuckled.

"I reminded her that the sooner we finished, the sooner we got cake," he answered and Kim tried not to laugh too loudly. He motioned to the front. "We're almost there."

"Thanks, Mercer. I really appreciate this," she told him and he smiled.

"It's my pleasure, Ms. Hart," he assured her. He let go of her and took his seat next to Elsa who was grinning. Unlike the other wedding, there were no bride and groom's sides. Instead, there was a Ranger side and a dignitary side which suited the wedding much better.

Captain Mitchell smiled at them briefly before getting into the heart of the matter. He continued loudly as Tommy and Kim stayed close and quietly spoke. Considering they'd heard it before, and as they were technically already married, they really didn't see a problem as it had been timed before. This part would last five to seven minutes before they moved on to the vows, then the rings, then the kiss.

"Did you see the sign?" Kim asked softly and Tommy tried not to laugh.

"I'm still trying to figure out how Zack could write 'Say anything and I'll sic the raptors on you' in seventy different languages followed by 'Please enjoy your stay and don't destroy Earth'," Tommy answered.

"I'm trying to figure out how our best friends let him," Kim answered, rolling her eyes. Tommy rolled his eyes.

"Encouraged is more like it," he muttered. "Even David was giving them ideas."

"His wife is beautiful, by the way," Kim said which Tommy gave her a smile for. "So is your nephew."

"I like to think so," he answered. "So, we're married."

"Yep," she answered. "Oh, say 'I do', Tommy."

"I do," he said loudly, glad that Kim was keeping up. "We're not having much of a honeymoon though. Damn Scorpina. Your turn, Kim."

"Thank you, Handsome," she said before following her husband's request. "I do."

"Vows?" She asked and he nodded, waiting for Captain Mitchell to give them the go ahead. The older man seemed amused by the duo, understandably considering that every Ranger and everyone who knew the Rangers had been let in on what was going on. It had gone from being voluntary to being forced and no former Ranger was okay with that idea. Captain Mitchell was only there because they had asked him several times and weren't deterred from the idea that he headed it. Otherwise, he'd want nothing to do with the entire thing.

"Thomas and Kimberly have decided to do a joint vow to which I'll let them proceed," Captain Mitchell said and nodded to them both.

"It's been a long journey, but we're here," Tommy began. "We've been through a lot."

"Rita," Kim agreed.

"Zedd."

"Losing your powers."

"Nearly losing you."

"Going to the games."

"The letter."

"Not really talking for a couple of years other than a letter here and there."

"Zordon's death."

"The Red Mission."

"Blowing up that island."

"You getting back in uniform."

"Nearly losing you again."

"But we're here," Kim said with a smile. "We're married."

"Just took us ten years," Tommy joked.

"Well, I like to do things slow. So, you promise to stay with me, forever, because I really love you and I'd hate it if you left," Kim informed him as she turned serious and smiled at him. "I love you, I will always love you."

"And I will always love you. Promise me we'll talk things out, that neither of us will run away from our problems because we're Rangers. We're not cowards," Tommy said sternly.

"Can I use angry words?" She asked sweetly and he nodded. "Then I promise, we'll talk it out."

"And I promise that I won't leave you. I love you, Kimberly Hart," he informed her and she smiled back at him.

"And I love you, Thomas Oliver," she answered. They both looked at Captain Mitchell, who nodded.

"By the power invested in me, I know pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride," he answered. Kim leaned up and Tommy reached down to kiss.

They both were trying not to laugh by the resounding squeals and whistles coming amid the applause from their friends. It took them nearly a minute and a half to calm down enough to be able to kiss with a slightly straight face and they erupted into laughter when they were done.

* * *

"Alright. Now, who is the bird from?" Kim asked, keeping an eye on the large, golden eagle sized bird resting on a perch with its assortment of colored feathers slightly ruffled from the noise. It hadn't made any noise, yet, to which both Kim and Tommy were eternally grateful, but many of the gifts they had gotten were unusual and this was no exception.

Tommy headed over to it and pressed a button on the collar it wore. The bird seemed unaffected as a hologram of Dulcea appeared. Kim rushed over as well as it played.

_"Tommy, Kimberly, I apologize for not being able to attend, but I'm sure you both understand. One of the other guests was able to drop this present off for you. I hope you both enjoy her company and that the wedding proceeded smoothly."_ At that, the hologram disappeared and they were left looking at her present which carefully stretched her wings. She was still quiet, but when she finally made a noise, it was soft and pleasing to the ear.

"It's because we were birds," Tommy decided and Kim laughed, though she reached out and pet the bird which moved away in annoyance. She tried again, feeling a little frustrated and felt a hand gently pull her away.

"You're doing it wrong," Eric informed her and quickly showed her how. Kim nodded and smiled before copying. Eric nodded approvingly. "There."

"I forgot you liked birds," Kim teased and Eric shrugged.

"I'm dating one," he reminded her before heading to find his said girlfriend. "Mmm. Congrats."

"Thanks," Tommy answered and turned back to Kim. "He's getting soft."

"Don't tell him that," Kim scolded before sighing. "At least he's not involved in the 'my genius is better than your genius' contest the other groups are having."

Tommy looked in surprise back at her. "What?!"

"It's keeping them from causing a diplomatic incident," Kim said sharply. "We just need to stay out of it. I don't want to choose between two of my best friends."

"Since when is Ethan one of your best friends?" Tommy asked in confusion.

"They entered Hayley instead," Kim answered. "So did Seth, Tara, Jera, and Ben. The seven of them are all claiming her."

"She's not a Ranger," Tommy said, a little confused.

"It's a genius contest. Not a Ranger genius contest. Conner and Ethan quickly brought that up," Kim explained. "Most of the groups are staying out of trouble and away from the dignitaries, Neen and Dante are talking with Sherikari…"

"Which one's that?" Tommy whispered and Kim motioned over to the older bat woman who was laughing with the two children.

"The Nocturian," Kim answered. "Remember? Most of their species are night oriented."

"Well, as long as she's playing nice…" Tommy said with a shrug. "Let's open more gifts."

"Shouldn't we do that _after_ the reception?" Kim asked and Tommy paused.

"You're right. Let's go back and talk to more people," he answered. Kim quickly grabbed a box.

"So, what do you think is in this one?"

* * *

"I think we lost them," Conner said, leaning against the wall. He was breathing heavily and turned to Ethan and Kira who tiredly nodded back. He looked frustrated and sighed, glancing upwards. "What part of 'honorary' brothers and sister did they not understand?"

Kira shrugged. "Dunno. But they better catch on really fast."

"We could throw Ethan to them," Conner offered which made his best friend glare back at him.

"Oh no! If I have to deal with it, so do you two," Ethan argued and Kira nodded.

"Right. I'll claim both of you as a boyfriend if I have to," she agreed. "Especially since Jera and Tara made themselves scarce when we brought it up."

"I'm just really sure I don't want to marry some princess," Conner answered. "And I tried to explain to them that Kira and I are dating, but they decided I was just trying to get out of it. Which led to other dignitaries showing up."

"Which led to us hiding behind this wall," Ethan agreed. "And eventually, someone's going to find us out."

"Kira?" Conner started.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"If we get married, can we elope? I really hate weddings," Conner answered.

"If we can," came the agreement. "For now, keep quiet!"

* * *

"What the hell is going on?" Jason demanded as he entered the fray. Kat was right on his heels, holding onto Trip while Jason tried to manhandle Wes to his feet. Aisha quickly put a hand on Jen's shoulder and Tanya held back Lucas. A thud caused Trini, the only one not in the middle of things at the minute, to wince as Eric hit the floor before getting up to try again with Katie. Cestro, Tideus, and Delphine were attempting to hold the other group back, though the rest of their team were coming to help along with Dex and Trey.

"Take it back!" Wes nearly growled. Trip was sobbing as Kat did her best to soothe him. Jen and Lucas stopped fighting against their fellow Rangers, but their looks were deep enough to kill. Eric had muttered something or another to Katie and pointed in Trip's direction which had stopped the Yellow's rampage as she went to check on her boyfriend.

"Can't handle the truth?" The other, the reptilian one that had accused Tommy before, demanded and Wes pulled against Jason. It wasn't as if Wes was weak, but especially since the Red Mission and because of the fighting last year as he'd gotten prepared to take over this year, Jason had been working out and preparing. Considering that he was stronger than Wes naturally, he was managing to keep the other man in place. Eric looked at Wes and looked over at the alien who'd caused the whole mess. He calmly walked over and faced him with the alien looking at him in disgust. Without saying a word, the Quantum Ranger nailed him in the stomach. The alien looked at him in shock as he fell over and Eric looked down impassively.

"Next time," he informed the other. "I'll let her go."

"Eric!" Jason snapped, trying to get a handle on everything. Kat looked up and shrugged.

"He deserved it," Kat decided which caused Jason to look in her direction in surprise. She was managing to keep herself calm as she glanced at Delphine whose team had managed to stop the other dignitaries. "You might want to get them out of here."

Delphine nodded and they were led away with help from Trey, Dex, and the other Aquitians. Jason turned to Kat, managing to let Wes go as he calmed down, and sighed. "Now, how is this okay?"

"They used some racial slurs against Trip, apparently the two species don't get along right now, and implied that Katie wasn't necessarily on the up and up because of her strength," Kat answered.

"Meaning?" Jason asked, trying not to smack his head against the wall.

"Since she's strong, they said she was a mutant and since they were fighting mutants…" Kat said, letting it trail off on purpose. No one wanted to repeat the word they had used: spy. Katie was fortunately distracted, though it was clear that she was still hurt over the comments and angry about what they'd said about Trip.

Jason nodded in understanding before looking over at Jen, then to Wes, and finally to Eric. "Don't let Kim find out. Don't let Tommy find out. Try not to let the kids find out."

"Why?" Wes asked and Jason looked grim.

"I heard what she told Kira. Unless you want to be the Advisor of External Affairs…" Jason started and they quickly agreed to keep quiet about it.

* * *

It was a matter of pride. Whether or not it was true, Red liked to believe that he had plenty of patience. After all, he'd let these people near his pack and extended pack, which thanks to Blue was greatly extended. He'd put up with the strange mating between his Alpha and her mate. He'd promised to be good to the best of his ability when he want to snap and attack many of the species here. He'd even put up with various pictures of him, assuming they stayed off his back. He'd kept his pack in check, but this was beyond any semblance of duty, this was a matter of pride.

He realized that he was part machine. It wasn't easy to ignore, but beyond that, he was a raptor. He looked like a raptor, acted like a raptor, and was proud of what he and his pack were. He'd fought off reptiles from the year before, but that was different. They were mistakes. The humans had said so. No one, however, said that this reptile was a mistake and he had features similar to Red. He had a tail like Red and a snout like him, and they both walked on two legs in a similar way. The raptor wasn't clothed, but they were similar in look which was why Red was so angry at the way the other was acting. First, he'd yelled at Tommy over the mating which seemed wrong to Red, but he'd ignored it. He didn't understand it either, after all. Then the other had picked on the green-haired human and his friends which, while not Red's business, still annoying him that the other reptile was behaving badly. Still, Red knew that the other's alpha would be displeased. Besides, the red and black human had physically taken care of it. But when the reptile had called the tiny female human that he cared for a "half-breed" then it became his business. He wasn't sure what it meant, but he knew an insult when he heard it. Blue called the little human "her hatchling" which made her part of his pack. That made it his business and no one insulted a member of Red's pack.

Something that looked like him was not allowed to pick on a member of his pack, especially a smaller member that couldn't fight. He gently pushed the small human to the side with his snout and chirped before advancing. He would teach this upstart just who was in charge.

Kim and Tommy groaned as they heard the chirping. He'd been doing so well too. Conner, Ethan, and Kira were racing toward the scene as well and Tommy watched as Black cleared the jump over his new wife's head as he raced toward the fight. When they got there, Yellow was trying to keep Blue back, Black was chirping up a storm, and Red was smacking the reptilian ambassador around with his tail. Black turned a bit and checked on Neen who was still crying before chirping even louder for Red as if dignitary beating was the newest raptor sport.

Tommy rushed to Neen's side while Kim and Conner attempted to stop Red. Kira and Ethan nodded to each other and went to help Yellow who was being thrown around by his twin sister. The chaos slowed, but was far from over at this point as Red and Blue were both furious, Neen was clutching to her uncle, and everything seemed to be going haywire.

"That's enough!" The yell into the crowd caused the silence and everyone turned to see Kat standing there, Trini and Jason backing her, with none of them looking happy. She marched over to where the ambassador was standing, having gotten Red off of him. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"What?!" He demanded. "That beast…"

"Was within his rights as you were insulting a member of his pack," Kat said sensibly. "We apologize for the inconvenience."

"Incon… You're throwing me out after one of your own creatures attempted to kill me and you're apologizing for the 'inconvenience?!'" He demanded.

"You have caused too many problems. You have insulted two other races, both the Triforians and Xybrians though the insult toward the Xybrians was more pronounced. You also insulted two members of a Ranger team, Katie Walker and Trip Regis, who had nothing to prove to you as they performed their job admirably. Finally, you insulted a small child who happens to be the daughter of a former Ranger and current ambassador. While most of us might want to let Red finish you off, we have a responsibility to make sure that you make it back to your people. So, I'm asking you to leave so we can finish that responsibility," Kat said, managing to keep her voice calm and level.

"And just who are you to demand it?" He snapped. She sighed and pulled herself up to her full height.

"Katherine Hillard," she answered and sighed as she gave a small smile in Kim and Tommy's direction. "Advisor of External Affairs."

It was silent for a moment, but then the dignitary got up and left. The room started to get busy again and Kim turned to Kat. "Great. Now I'm going to have to come up with a new threat."

Kat laughed and Tommy put his hand on her shoulder. "Thanks, Kat."

"Any time," she answered and head off. Tommy turned to Jason.

"Jason…" he started and Jason shrugged.

"We swore her in and everything," he answered. "Aisha also called the environment and Tanya called Domestic Customs. So we swore them in too."

"What about Rocky and Adam?" Tommy asked and Jason brushed his hand around.

"Do you see them anywhere?"

"Good point."

* * *

Conner nudged Rocky to the right a bit, which knocked the older Red into Adam, who bumped into Ethan, pushed Kira out of the way and onto Zack's lap which only caused the first Black to snicker and gently help her up. It was undeniably a small space, though well-hidden. Zack glanced over at Conner who looked exceedingly uncomfortable. "Conner, stop pushing."

"How long do we have to stay here?" He demanded and Zack sighed.

"Until the insane aliens leave," he answered. "So… two more hours, four tops."

"Four!" Conner wasn't the only one less than happy by that as all of them demanded an answer at the same time.

"Yep. That sounds right," he decided. They groaned, but stayed where they were. Rocky and Adam didn't want to become Advisors of anything after all and the trio and Zack were hiding from the parade of aliens who seemed intent on marrying one of them.

"So, your plan is to hide all night?" Conner was nearly certain he hadn't said that. It was definitely feminine after all and a quick glance to their female companion said that she hadn't said anything either. He looked up and saw an amused woman looking back at him. Unlike a human, however, she had cat-ears and spots as well as slit-pupils in her eyes. She looked thoroughly amused by the entire thing.

"Uh… yeah?" Conner said looking sheepish. The woman sighed and shook her head. She had a look that was both amused and annoyed which made Conner look even more sheepish. He was pretty sure that most of the others did as well.

"Well, thank you for you concern but I'm sure you must be going now. We'll be sure to send you a thank you card for coming to the wedding. Have a nice day." Zack, of course, tended to be an exception in everything, even embarrassment. The former Black Ranger was motioning for her to leave as he tried not to move too much. She wasn't having any of it.

"Did you ever think about saying no?" The woman suggested. The teens nodded and Zack shrugged. Both Rocky and Adam tried to blend in to the wall.

"Yep," Zack answered. "Didn't work. Hiding _was _working until a certain feline broke our cover."

The teens were pretty sure they didn't like where this was going. Zack was infamous for his wit and how he put things. Being one of the eldest Rangers meant that he was given respect and being a successful business man meant the same. Even being an advisor had meant that most of the delegates had let him be. The female in front of them, however, didn't look intimidated by the Ranger's remarks, but instead she looked bemused.

"So your plan is to stay in the closet?" She demanded before giving a rather large smile. "Don't you humans have a saying about that?"

Conner, Ethan, Rocky and Adam piled out of the closet, falling over each other to get away from the metaphor and completely forgetting for the moment why they were hiding to begin with. The woman chuckled as Kira finished abandoning Zack by simply walking out after her teammates. Zack glared at the woman.

"Funny."

"I thought so," she said. "Now, stop being a mouse and come out. I'll protect you."

Zack grumbled, but headed out. It didn't matter if he stayed in there now. Not with Demon Cat knowing where he was. The woman, for her part, hadn't said anything else. She didn't need to. It was pretty obvious she'd won. She turned when Conner tapped her on the shoulder and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?" She demanded.

"Umm… who are you?" Conner asked.

"Doctor Kat Manx," she answered. "I'm working on the SPD project."

Conner nodded. Wes had mentioned that after some sort of accident, he'd lent his communicator to the project for help. Before he could say anything, however, Zack piped up. "Kat Manx? Next you'll tell me you have friends named Birdie and Doggie."

Kat grinned at him though it wasn't a nice smile. "As a matter a fact…"

* * *

"Handsome…" Kim warned, but it was too late as Tommy took the offending object and chucked it as far as he could away from him. It hit a tree and Tommy hoped the communicator was broken. He also hoped that the destruction the communicator was going through somehow affected her. Kim rolled her eyes and put her hand on his arm.

"She had no right to send us anything," he snapped. "If she wanted to send something to T.J. and the others, that's one thing. But not to us. Not after what she did."

"I wasn't even…" Kim started and Tommy shook his head wildly.

"Kat, Tanya, Adam, me. Us. She has no right to send things to us. Not to us, not to the people we love," Tommy answered. Kim leaned into him. "After she stripped us…"

"Tommy, that was years ago," she gently reminded him and he nodded once.

"You gave up your power, Kim. Zordon and Billy both told me how you called once in a while to talk about it, especially after the Zeo powers because Billy would understand. He wouldn't strip Kat of hers to give yours back, but Zordon never forced you out of yours. She did. We were young, just graduated, and hurt. I couldn't concentrate enough on racing because of it. I ended up going to college that fall because Billy had convinced us to apply the year before and I happened to have been accepted. Kat and I had an agreed breakup because none of us really wanted to be near each other for a while. Adam ran to Rocky which was lucky for him because the rest of us weren't so lucky. Kat and Tanya who were so close didn't talk to each other until Zordon's death. I didn't talk to any of them until then. We were able to deal with others, but seeing each other reminded us of that day. Jason told me again and again that it wasn't my fault, but I couldn't see how. I knew I did something wrong. Something that affected all of us, not just me. It's taken us years to get this far over it," Tommy answered. "So I don't want to hear from her at my wedding."

Kim just nodded and reached over to hold him. He leaned his head against her shoulder, letting her comfort him. They were interrupted by Black who was carrying Dimitria's offending communication in his mouth and waving his tail proudly. Tommy groaned as Kim tried not to laugh. He glared at the raptor. "Only you would think I was playing fetch!"

* * *

Other than several biting comments between Dr. Manx and Zack, the rest of the initial reception went well though almost everyone was pleased when it was time for cake. Every Red Ranger was watching Jason Scott like a hawk wondering what the first Red would say about his best friend. Everyone knew that Tommy had passed his speech onto Kim when Jason and Trini had married, but they had the feeling that Jason would still rather get back at Tommy for letting her.

Trini stood up first and looked at her husband before looking over at her friends. "Congratulations, guys. Kim, I hope this is everything you've been waiting for. Tommy, I hope the wait was worth it. Try to keep each other out of trouble, okay?"

They both nodded and smiled at their friend as she sat back down before she got too tired. They turned their attention to Jason who grinned as he looked at his friends. "First, congratulations to you both. Second, I haven't forgotten by own wedding," he informed them, causing the newly wedded couple to groan. "Tommy, Kim's a great girl. She's the best surrogate little sister I could ever have. That said, pray for a son. Otherwise, you're going to be dealing with tea parties and dress-up that you're pretty sure you said no to, but you're still at the table sipping fake tea somehow. Not to mention how she can manipulate you. None of us have forgotten those battles when she was doing just fine before. Plus, she has this remarkable ability to turn everyone in the room against you. I think it might be genetic for all the women of her family because her mom tended to do the same thing."

Tommy was snickering as Kim gave the first Red Ranger a mock glare before laughing herself. Jason quickly turned on his best friend and turned his attention to the bride. "Kim, you better hope for a girl. Otherwise, you're going to have a miniature Tommy. Which, having had him as a leader twice, I don't think the world needs. Let's face it, Bro, you're a great friend and a great Ranger, sometimes your ideas tend to go haywire, not to mention the tardiness. Or the fact that it took her changing in front of you to notice that the principal who was your boss and Elsa were the same person. No offense intended, Elsa."

The principal shook her head, laughing a bit herself. With all of the stories Jason knew, he was trying to go easy on them both considering the aliens were watching. "Still, congratulations," he said and winked at them. "But when you guys have kids, the family and I are moving."

There was a good natured chuckle from most of the adults and snickering from the teenagers. All of which turned into a roar of laughter when Dante piped up.

"Amen. Let's eat cake!"

* * *

Tommy leaned into Kim as the reception continued behind them. He took her hand and smiled. "Thank you."

"Well, you did ask. Even if it was at a bad time," she teased. Tommy grinned.

"You did say yes," he reminded her. "It could have gone worse."

Kim nodded, playing with the cake topper in her hands and running her hands over the various pieces. "So, when do you think we'll get that honeymoon."

Tommy snorted. "When Rita mentors a team," he joked. She gave a half-smile and nodded.

"That's alright," she assured him. "I'm happy right here with you."

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Why is it that I have such a hard time with chapters like these? You'd think they'd be easier. That said, I also thought that it would be a nice calm wedding and then the characters went insane. Still, they're married! Yay!

The format for the rest of the story is actually slightly different then the first. There will be four more chapters, but if you don't wish to continue on to the next story, only read the next three. The fourth will be an epilogue of sorts, but it will lead in to the shorter middle story which will probably be three-four chapters or one very long chapter depending on how it turns out. After the short one, I have one longer one planned and that's it. Other than the prequel, if I decide to do it, and various short stories as my mind goes on, the series will be finished.

Thank you for all of the reviews. I appreciate each and every one of them. I also appreciate all of you who continue to read this and I'm sorry I haven't been updating as often as I would like. Nearly a year after graduating from college and I'm still trying to find my new balance for my life. Considering that it keeps changing on me, it might take a bit longer. Thank you all for being so patient!


	12. Preparations

**Chapter 12: Preparation**

Conner sighed and tried again to remove the small child from his leg. He'd tried talking to her, shaking his leg loose, and scolding, but Neen was having none of it. He noticed that neither of his mentors were rushing to get her off. Ethan and Kira were watching, but not moving which Conner understood. They were trying to let him deal with the situation on his own. He was only glad that the newer Rangers weren't here to see it again. "Neen, come on! I'm going to be late."

"No!" She answered, clinging tighter. He was pretty sure she was starting to cut off circulation. "You might not come back!"

Conner sighed and tried to kneel down, which finally got Neen to let go and wrap herself around his waist instead. That was easier to pull her from. "I'm going to come back, Neen."

"You almost did not!" She exclaimed. Conner calmed himself down and realized that it wasn't just her. That's why they were all being quiet.

"You remember when we were at the aquarium and the monster showed up and we had to get you guys out of there?" He asked and she nodded. "Well, what if we hadn't done anything for anyone else?"

"The fish and the other people would have been hurt," she answered, quoting what she'd been told before. Conner nodded.

"They might not have made it home to _their_ families," he added. "It's like that now. If I don't, then who will? Besides, I've made it back every other time, right?"

She nodded and moved away which Conner took as a sign he could leave. Ethan took the opportunity of the silence to say one last thing. "Try to come back in one piece, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah."

* * *

Conner sighed as he headed into the building. He'd been doing this for over a month and he went through the same thing with Neen every time. Seth had given him a hard time about it more than once. He passed by the various desks lined on his way to the office and stopped in front of the final one. "Good morning, Fay," he said politely and the woman smiled back up at him.

Fay was Scorpina's other assistant, both at the office and in general, though she had little in common with either of her superiors. Instead of an older warrior or a young woman, Fay had chosen an appearance of a forty-year-old woman with badly dyed red hair and sparkling blue eyes. Her fashion sense matched the other women in the office perfectly and other than the way her arms twitched every one in a while, she looked completely human. She also had the mannerisms down, though he wasn't sure if it was practice or just her. Like other unmarried women, she had pictures of her pets up instead though she's informed Conner that their appearance had been masked as well. The cute little kitten was a silver beetle of about the same size and the bird was actually a creature similar in appearance to a moth. The fish that swam in the bowl on her desk, however, was definitely an actual fish and her plants were from Earth. "Good morning, Conner! It's a _beautiful_ morning, isn't it? I was just telling Edward what a great morning it was before he disappeared. That man, eh? Always playing hard to get."

"Yeah, how about that," Conner answered, not wanting to remind her that the only reason the man had anything to do with her at all was because it was part of the job description. "How was your weekend, Fay?"

"Oh, you know. Scurrying about, doing this and that," she answered and sneezed a bit as she did so.

"Getting more allergies," Conner continued for her with a bit of a smile when she blushed.

"It's too warm here," she answered. "I do enjoy a more… wet climate," she answered. "Less sun. You know, I'm allergic to dry dirt."

"I believe it," he told her. "What kind of a mood is she in?"

"Well, you know how it is. It was a long weekend and she didn't get as much done as… why don't you go file?" Fay suggested quickly, pointing to the file room on the other side. Conner rubbed his wrist as he gave her a thankful look and headed in the opposite direction.

The files were set up alphabetical order and it wasn't hard for Conner to file them away, but it was some of the slightly less hidden files that caught his eyes. He lifted it up and began reading through it before his eyes widened. _"The density of the soil is of a welcomed quality. It is neither too heavy or too soft. A perfect place to lay eyes where they will not slide around nor…"_

"That's what they were getting the soil for," Conner muttered. "They're going to breed. Oh shit! They're going to breed!"

He quickly got his voice back under control and put it back where he found it. He finished up and headed out, back to where Scorpina, or Sabrina in that form, was waiting for him. "Are you finished?" She demanded and Conner nodded, seeing why Fay had pushed the 'get out of Scorpina's wrath free' card.

"Yes, Ma'am," he answered.

"Good. Come on, then. We've got a busy day," she instructed, heading back to the office. Glancing at her angry face, he just hoped that the day wouldn't end with his untimely death.

* * *

"I'll just feel better about it when it's over." Ethan gave a half-smile to his companion's comment, completely understanding how she felt. He was feeling the same as Kira on the whole mess and more than once he'd wished that Conner had never accepted it.

"Yeah, I know," Ethan answered. "He's doing a good job though."

"But he's not him. I was hoping that doing this would…" she stopped at that and felt Ethan hand touch her shoulder.

"Turn him back? Yeah, so did I. He's just not him," Ethan agreed. "But hey, he's got us."

"I'm not sure if we're enough," Kira whispered. "He's… not him."

"He's getting a little better," Ethan insisted. "He's having fewer nightmares. Just like you're not sleeping over as much. All I know, is that I'm already starting to feel guilty about having Seth and the others fight."

"We couldn't," Kira gently reminded him.

"I know, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt," he answered. "What if Seth ends up like Conner or Tara doesn't come back from it as her happy self. What if we lose one? How could the others come back from that?"

"It's quiet right now. Wait until there's a problem," Kira answered. Ethan sighed.

"It's too quiet," he muttered. Kira rolled her eyes at that.

"Ethan, you've been watching too many movies and video games again," she scolded.

"Kira, seriously. It's too quiet," he answered. "You know it, I know it. Something should have attacked within the last week. Honestly, how many breaks did we get?"

"So it's a good thing," she argued. "Nothing to fight is good."

"You're not going to think that she packed up and went home, are you?" Ethan snapped before wincing. "Sorry, Kira."

The girl just smiled and gave a quick nod in acknowledgement. "We're just stressed," she assured him. "We just…"

"Ethan, former Blue…" Both whipped their heads around at the interruption and immediately went into an attack pose. Chelone stood there, perfectly still, just looking at them. Kira opened her mouth to Pterascream, but Chelone quickly waved his hand around.

"In front of all of these people?" He asked wisely. Kira shut her mouth and Ethan took a step in front of her. It wasn't a macho move, but rather he had armor and she didn't. Chelone would have a harder time paralyzing him when he was ready. "I want to talk."

"What?" Both teens asked at the same time, neither giving up.

"I want to talk," he repeated. "We can finish this somewhere more comfortable if you wish."

"Fine," Ethan said. Kira turned to look at him and Ethan shrugged. He leaned in close to her. "Where's Conner, Kira?"

Her eyes got large for a second before she calmed herself and looked at him. "We know a place." Chelone nodded and motioned for them to lead the way.

Hayley's café was buzzing with the normal amount of visitors rushing about. Hayley herself was at the counter, making sure to look like the average civilian in case the duo needed help. She still had the hotline in the back. A quick shake of the head from Ethan, however, stopped her from rushing to it when they walked in the door.

"What do you want?" Kira asked. They'd chosen their normal seats on the couch, away from everyone else. Chelone stayed completely calm before getting straight to the point.

"I'm worried about my queen," he answered.

"What?" Kira demanded. "We're not on the same side!"

Ethan quickly put his hand on her arm to calm her and looked at their enemy. "You're going to have to explain, Chelone."

"This planet is unsuitable," he said. "Much of it is water and there will not be enough food for us. Like you, our planet is split into many races. They are similar to several of your Earth species: scorpions, spiders, mites, and ticks. The 'ticks' will not survive. There is nothing big enough for them to actively feed on."

"What do you mean?" Ethan asked, starting to get a bad feeling in his stomach.

"It takes a lot of blood for them to be well fed and yes, they do only drink blood. Now, each of your earth cattle contains 15 gallons of blood. That in turn comes out to about 115 pounds of blood. An actual size for that part of our species is about five feet tall and 200 pounds. They drink twice their weight in blood. That's nearly four cattle per feeding," Chelone explained. Ethan's eyes widened and Kira quickly looked in his direction.

"Cattle are bigger, Kira. It would take fifteen people to do the same," he explained. Her eyes widened as well. Even with the various animals on the planet, they would go through them quickly. He turned back to Chelone. "So, find a better planet!"

"I would like to," Chelone answered. "But she is set on this one."

"You think she's obsessive," Ethan said, catching on and Chelone nodded.

"The good of the colony should outweigh it, but she's become less rational. She's not thinking this out," he explained. "Our former planet was six times the size of this one with plenty to feed on. However, that is not why I'm here."

"Then what did you want?" Kira asked.

"Your companion, the Red one, is not stable either. Do you still do as he asks?" Chelone demanded. Ethan thought about it for a minute.

"It depends," he answered. "Usually, yes. But just because he's the leader doesn't mean we have to listen to him. We just… trust him and let him know when we think he's wrong."

"I see," Chelone answered, pondering this.

"Don't you?" Kira asked and Chelone shrugged.

"Our species tends to head toward one leader or handle things ourselves," he answered. "Only the spiders follow blindly. She got us out when we needed it."

"So, you're dealing with loyalty," Ethan answered, nodding a bit. "I can see that."

"Would you follow yours even if you knew he was falling into insanity?" He demanded and Ethan opened his mouth to say 'no', but stopped. He might not let Conner make all of the decisions, but he wouldn't abandon him either. For Chelone, they seemed to be one and the same.

"I don't know," he answered honestly and Chelone nodded.

"I didn't expect you would. I enjoyed the talk," Chelone said, standing up and Ethan followed his example.

"So, what are you going to do?" He asked him. Chelone paused.

"What I must," he answered and headed out. Kira stood up next to Ethan and blinked.

"That was weird," she murmured and Ethan nodded.

"Conner and I talked about it. They're not evil, Kira," he explained and she nodded.

"So is she evil?" Kira asked and Ethan shrugged.

"Dangerous, yes. Evil, I don't know. I'm not sure even she's sane enough to know," he answered. "We should get back."

Both of the irked teens headed out of the café as Hayley gently put one of those under her in charge and followed. She had the feeling that they were going to talk about their discussion and they might need her.

* * *

Ethan and Kira were silent. He thought of what Chelone had told them was weighing heavily on their minds and after they'd finished relating the conversation, they didn't see the need to say anything else. The rest of the adults were discussing the situation and the younger Rangers were mostly just listening. They were all interrupted when the door to the Lair flew open and Conner raced down the steps.

"We're in trouble!" Conner shouted as he raced down the steps. "Big trouble!"

Tommy helped to catch him as he rushed down, not quiet at super speed, but certainly in a near-blind panic. Billy, always the most sensible along with Hayley, quickly headed over. "Conner, it is imperative that you catch your breath before you collapse."

Conner obeyed, but only for a few minutes. "Scorpina! She's got a lot of Tarantumen eggs! They'll hatch soon! All over America!"

"How many Conner?" Tommy demanded.

"I dunno, Dude," he said, breaking into old habits. "A lot I guess. Some were here, so you can look here."

"Once we find those, it is feasible that we could find all of them," Billy informed them as he and Hayley started to work. Billy reached down and picked up Neen as he did so.

Kira and Ethan, in turn, repeated what Chelone had told them to Conner, who nodded. "Maybe we can talk some sense into her," he mentioned. The room silenced at that. Kim and Billy glanced at each other, neither looking too hopeful. Tommy, on the other hand, looked like a mix between stern and sympathetic.

"She's evil, Conner," Tommy reminded him. "She's not misunderstood; she's not under a spell…"

"She's insane," Conner admitted. "But she didn't hurt Ethan or me too much. And if not her, then maybe we can convince Chelone."

"God, Conner! He's just as bad!" Tommy snapped. Ethan quickly took Conner's side.

"He's just trying to protect his people. Like we are!" He argued. Tommy shook his head.

"You just don't…" he started, but quickly stopped there. Conner's eyes narrowed.

"Go ahead, Doctor O. Finish it," he said darkly. Both men were facing each other. When Tommy didn't say anything, Conner continued. "I'm sick of being told I don't understand or know. I've been through just as much as you have, just not as long and no other Ranger has, so you can't judge on that! I've nearly died for Earth too! I've struggled, I've…"

"You don't know her!" Tommy fought back. "She's…!"

"Lost everything," Conner answered.

"The things she's done," Tommy continued and shook his head. "You're just too young to understand."

"What do I have to do to prove I'm capable to you?! Die?! I've nearly died, several times, but that isn't enough! It's not enough that I'm messed up from the whole thing or that I have a hard time talking to Kira and Ethan even! And now, when we're probably all going to die, I'm still not good enough? What's it going to take?!" Conner lashed out. "I don't want to be in counseling with Kim and Dr. Mercer until I'm fif…"

He stopped and his eyes widened as he realized what he'd allowed to come out of his mouth. "Counseling?" Tommy asked, his face even more of a scowl.

"I, uh, Kim and Mercer were already talking and they…" he started, feeling caught between his two teachers. His eyes flickered to Kim's shocked face to Tommy's increasing scowl. Then he did what any reasonable human would do, he ran. He didn't realize that the two looks were directed over his head, not to him.

"Sessions?" Tommy asked his wife. "What happened to 'I'm fine, Tommy'? I've been asking!"

"I was scared!"

"You didn't think I'd understand!"

"I was afraid you would!" She answered. At his completely baffled look, she sighed. "You've been caught before."

He shook his head. "You should have told me. I shouldn't have found out from Conner," he said, motioning to where the younger man had been. His eyes widened and he turned on the others. "Where's Conner?"

"He left," Hayley answered calmly.

"Hayley, Billy, where is he?!" Tommy demanded. Both of them stood stern as they faced him,

"He is fine, Tommy," Billy assured him. "And I think you both know where he is."

The two mentors nodded to each other as they headed for the door. "Tommy, Kim," Hayley called up to them. They stopped and turned to her. "If Rita and Zedd can be good, why can't Scorpina?"

They sighed, nodded to her, and raced out the door to find Conner.

* * *

"Sander! Open the door! Sander?" Conner yelled as he beat the door with his fist. Logically, he knew there was a doorbell, but he wasn't running on logic right now. "Come on!"

Mercer's annoyed assistant finally opened the door and looked at Conner who was standing there, looking emotionally worn out and tired. Still, that didn't get him off the hook. "It's a large house."

Conner winced at that, knowing the man was right. "Yeah, sorry."

Sander nodded once and moved out of the way so that Conner could come in. The young man did so and paced the living room as Sander went to find his boss. Now that he was there, a fleeting thought came across Conner's mind as he hoped that Mercer hadn't been in the middle of anything, especially since Elsa was done with school for the day.

"Conner! What's wrong?" Conner turned and looked at Mercer. He swallowed and looked at the older man.

"Can you hide me for a couple days?" He begged. He'd meant to ask, but it hadn't come out that way. He knew he was close to breaking, but he didn't want anyone to see it. "I-I messed up."

"I've never known you to hide, Conner," Mercer mentioned and Conner looked at him.

"It's Doctor O," he answered and Mercer nodded, motioning for him to sit down which Conner did.

"Now, how did you mess up?" Mercer asked and Conner was more than a little jealous of the elder man's ability to stay calm. He was merely pouring them some lemonade as he waited for Conner to answer.

"I blurted out the meetings," he whispered and Mercer nodded.

"I see. Well, accidents happen," he reminded the younger man. Conner looked up only to have Mercer hand the glass over. He accepted it, but looked shocked.

"Aren't you mad?" He demanded and Mercer chuckled a bit at that.

"Of all the things we've done, I don't think this is the worst," he answered. At Conner's downtrodden look, Mercer sighed. "I'm assuming Tommy disagrees."

Conner looked abashed again and the other nodded. He motioned for Conner to head into the next room afterward and the young man knew he'd gotten his sanctuary. He wasn't stupid either. Billy and Hayley were quietly protecting him or he would have been yanked back by now. More than likely, they'd put a Ranger APB out on him by now which meant that Mercer was protecting him as well. His guess was put into play when there wasn't even a knock on the door before his mentors entered.

"Where is he?" Tommy wasn't wasting any time on it and Mercer didn't answer. "Anton…"

"Mercer, please. Is he here?" Kim's voice was softer, scared. Conner winced as he realized that she was a little more worried, rather than angry. Mercer must have noticed the fear as well.

"He's fine," he assured her. "He's just… upset. He believes he's ruined everything."

"So where…?" Tommy asked and Mercer shook his head.

"He's staying here until he calms down," he answered. "On top of everything else, now he's feeling guilty for this."

"It's okay, Dr. Mercer," Conner said, coming out. He glanced over at his mentors and then at the ground. Mercer stood back, but was ready to intercede if needed. Before Conner could say anything, he felt a couple of hands on his shoulders and looked up to see Tommy, anger gone and looking just as guilty as Conner felt.

"I'm sorry," he told the younger man and Conner looked surprised. "I should have listened. It's just hard to think that she's not completely evil."

"She's not okay," Conner offered. "She's definitely nuts."

"So, how about we go come up with a plan," Tommy suggested. "A good one."

"Will a half-baked one work?" Conner asked and Tommy snickered.

"With our group? That's probably the best we'll get. Especially if Zack gives any suggestions," he joked. Conner grinned back and Tommy looked more serious. "I'm not mad at you, Conner. I wish you could have come to me, but I'm not mad."

"Sorry I've been so difficult," he offered. Tommy looked at him seriously.

"I've been worse. It's just hard to think of you guys as equals sometimes. I spent a year training you," he answered and gave a half-smile. "But you're right. You have done a lot and I should listen. Partners?"

To Kim's delight and Mercer's satisfaction, Conner grinned and took Tommy's hand. "Partners. So, let's get back and come up with a battle plan."

* * *

There had been silence as Conner had used his super speed to race off and still more when Kim and Tommy had chased after. Conner's news was still weighing heavily on them and the trio's discussion had made it even worse. Finally, the silence was broken.

"Okay. I quit," Seth said, looking at his morpher to everyone's surprise. Even his teammates looked like they hadn't been expecting it. "Where's the 'I choose life' button?"

"Seth," Billy said. His voice was gentle, but a definite scold. "You can't quit."

"Why not?" Seth demanded. "We're going up against as army of spider-people, human-scorpions, and were-ticks that want to kill us because their planet was destroyed and ours will work. Except it won't work because there isn't enough food to sustain them. But they're not really evil because they just are trying to survive even if that means killing us. But killing us is bad because we like living, yet it's not fair to judge them because humans would do the same in their place. Did I miss anything?"

The other three were starting to shift a bit and Kira looked worried. She wracked her mind and quickly thought of the other group that had fought a major war. "Maybe we should call the Space Rangers," she whispered and Ethan glanced over at the computer and subsequent communicator.

"You know, every time there's a problem, we call Andros," Ethan said thoughtfully and Kira sighed.

"Yeah, we should solve this problem ourselves," she agreed. Ethan looked confused and smiled sheepishly.

"You're right, but I was actually thinking that Doctor O would have put him on speed dial by now since I don't know the number," he admitted.

Kira lightly smacked his arm and turned to Seth. "Look, you're a Ranger. You all are. And that means you deal. You fight the bad crap that comes at you and lick your wounds. Kendrix didn't even get to do that before she came back. And sometimes… sometimes you lose people you love."

She paused to look over at Billy who looked solemn. He held one hand on Neen's shoulder and the other on his dead power coin. She turned her attention back to Seth. "But there are people who are alive, who are counting on you, who can't do it without you. So you gather your courage and fight anyway. Because if you give up, everyone loses."

It was silent for a minute. The others were watching the stare down between Kira and Seth anxiously, unsure as to who would emerge victoriously. Finally, with a slight nod, Seth backed down. The others reluctantly backed him, all of them looking scared and unsure. Kira looked at Ethan who gave her a small nod. Ethan opened his mouth to try to say something in agreement, but the communication jerked on instead, interrupting their morale session. Carter Greyson looked back at them, his normal calm self. "Are one of the originals there?" He requested politely.

"Carter," Billy answered, equally polite, as he looked over. "May I ask why you are calling?"

"Trini's in labor. Since my wife is her doctor, I thought I should let you know," he answered. While Carter was calm about the situation, several other voices could be heard in the chaos behind him.

"Oh God! What the hell is that?!" A thunk quickly followed the statement.

"Dana, Joel fainted again," another voice called out.

"Great." Dana's voice was followed by a sigh. "Ryan, get some ice for his head and make sure he doesn't have a concussion. Of all the days for Angela to leave… Jason!"

"Ice chips, music, and I just filled the bath," he answered before she could say anything. He looked a little hurried, but fine other than that. He stepped over Joel and headed in the direction of his wife. Dana turned on him.

"You should have had her see an OB/GYN. I'm just a pediatrician," Dana scolded. Jason shrugged.

"She had one. She trusts you more. Besides, what if the Power interferes?" He answered.

"I'm still not the best choice," she muttered, but dropped it after that.

Billy had Carter get his old friend and leader's attention. "Now is not the most optimal time," he informed him and Jason gave him a small smile.

"I don't think the baby cares, Billy," Jason teased.

"I understand. However, Hayley and I have completed some research on the information Conner was able to provide. If the information is correct, and we have no reason to suspect it, there will be thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of Tarantumen being born soon.

Everyone just stopped and stared at Billy for a minute, before glancing at Hayley who nodded in agreement. After a minute, Billy forced a smile. "Congratulations, however. I hope it is a boy."

* * *

The café was cleared out. Their normal base of operations would be too small to contain the amount of Rangers possibly coming. Time Force didn't look like it was coming back from the future, the Space Rangers and Lost Galaxy Rangers were making arrangements to be back to earth by the fight, and the others were coming, though only some of the team in various cases. Tables were pushed out of the way, computers had been set up, and a section had been put aside for bags, coats, and anything else that Rangers might have on them as they entered into the room.

Billy and Hayley worked together to hook everything up, eventually enlisting Ethan to their cause. The raptors were even there, quietly chirping in the back. The door quietly opened and no one was surprised to see Carter coming in first with Chad and Kelsey behind him. The others had stayed back to figure out ways to protect their own base as well as help with Trini and Jason, who was still going through the pains of a long labor at this point. They promised to call when the child was born.

They stood in their designated area, which Kira and the younger Rangers had just finished setting up. Zack was the next in, heading over to a different area. When Rocky, Adam, Aisha, Tanya, and Kat came in, he ushered them over to join him. He was also quick to "adopt" Justin when the younger man came in alone. "Turbo" was, after all, the only team to be split into two distinct groups: Zeo and Space, of which Justin was neither. The former blue Turbo Ranger gave him a thankful look and took his place beside them. Wes and Eric, when they arrived, were also quick to join with the Wild Force Rangers since their own team wasn't there. That said, they were also speaking for Alan Collins and the Silver Guardians as well.

The final group to enter were the Ninja Storm Rangers. Cam and Hunter both walked forward together, each looking serious as they did so. Tommy did his best not to give a sigh of relief at that. Both were walking straighter than the others, representatives of their respective schools. They were followed in by the others and took their own place with both Cam and Hunter in the front. Shane may have been the Red, but he definitely wasn't in charge of a school.

True to his word, both Tommy and Conner stood in front of the group to preside. Kim and Hayley stood to Tommy's side while Kira and Ethan stood next to Conner. Considering it was their fight, the Planetary Rangers were seated in front. They'd quickly admitted that they needed the help, though they'd handle the bulk of it. The problem was that the eggs were scattered all over the United States and could easily work their way into Canada and Mexico if given half a chance. There was no way only four Rangers could handle it.

Tommy didn't bother with greetings at the moment. There just wasn't enough time for them. "We have four basic places to defend. California, specifically here. As the largest place to defend, we'll handle it with the Planetary Rangers. Wes. Eric. Zack's offered to keep an eye on Silver Hills though they shouldn't have as many problems."

Both men nodded, knowing that this would pull them away from that duty. Eric looked at Zack seriously. "You'll have the Silver Guardians to help you."

"Thanks," Zack said solemnly. He looked at Tommy and motioned to Justin. "I'm taking him with me. I could use the help."

"Done," Tommy answered. "Carter, your team will take St. Paul, Minnesota in the north. The Galaxy Rangers will meet you there. I know you've worked together before."

Carter nodded once and mentally began to prepare for the move as Tommy moved on, glancing to Conner who spoke up. "Wes, Eric, you'll go with Wild Force. We'll need you guys to cover Florida."

"Got it," Wes answered and began softly talking with Eric about it.

"Kat, Rocky, Aisha, Adam, Tanya, you have Maine. Andros should meet you there," Tommy instructed. They were quiet for a minute before Kat took a step forward.

"Tommy, we don't have a leader," she reminded him. Tommy had been their leader during their tenure as Rangers no matter which group they were part of. During the small period of time that Tommy had been brainwashed, they'd had Jason there to help them. Tommy looked at her seriously.

"Yes they do, Kat," he answered. "I'm giving you temporary leadership. You have a cool head and you think things through."

"Adam could…" Kat started, but the former Black Ranger quickly stopped her.

"I've been second-in-command. I don't want to be in charge," he told her quickly. "Besides, I've been having to keep an eye on Rocky for over ten years. It's someone else's turn."

There were snickers and laughter from the other Rangers due to the comment. Kat embraced the former Black and Green, smiling. "I didn't want to take it away from you," she whispered. Adam smiled back.

"You'll make a good leader," he assured her. "Think about how well you handled the wedding."

She nodded once and turned back to Tommy. "I accept. We'll handle Maine."

Tommy smiled and nodded to his old teammates. He wasn't too worried about them. He turned to the last group he needed to assign. "Ninjas, you will take Texas, outside Houston. Try to keep them from entering the city and destroying nearby towns."

"We'll do our best," Shane promised. Cam and Hunter nodded to each other and Cam took a step forward.

"You have the help of the Wind Academy as well. We will take them with us, but if any group falls, let us know and we'll send them your way," Cam informed him.

"The same of the Thunder Academy," Hunter agreed. Conner nodded to both of them.

"We appreciate that and we'll keep them in mind. Hopefully, it won't come down to that," he said formally. Informally, all of them knew there was a high chance they'd all fall. They were just hoping to save the world before they did. Tommy and Conner glanced at their teammates, who shook their heads, and then at each other.

"Good luck," Tommy said. "I hope to see you all again."

_Or any of you._

**Author's Notes:** The chapter is done! Forever! Done! The next couple of chapters shouldn't be so long in coming, but this one was more difficult than I ever thought it could be. But, the good news is it's here now. Yay!

Fay was a character that I never really had time to introduce. She's been around of course, but never at the forefront as she is now. I really enjoyed creating her because she's fun to write. I also wanted Conner to know about her "other" side while still allowing them a decent relationship as well as someone who was helping to hide him at the office. She's sort of the opposite of Chelone who doesn't want Conner anywhere around his boss.

Justin and Kat. Justin was another issue I needed to address because of what was stated above. I figured that Zack would be the first to offer him a place to be. I have a side story that I'll put out when all of this is over with more detail as to Zack's decision. It's written, but if I put it out now, it will spoil the remaining chapters. When it came Kat, on the other hand, I thought between her and Adam. Adam was leader in Once a Ranger, so I decided to give it to Kat. I don't think Kat was treated fairly in the show and in the fandom. She's seen as a replacement, which is understandable considering how long Kim had been there. Thus, as she got older, I thought she'd make a far better leader than she had in her youth when she was still trying to find her own way.

Thank you for the reviews and I apologize again for the wait!


	13. Final Battle

Information is a very powerful weapon when one knows what to do with it, but a location as the Rangers had without a time is less useful than having both. They knew where to go, but they didn't quite know when and soon wasn't an answer. Therefore, with everyone else heading in the direction that had been planned out in the meeting, Conner headed back to the Sabrina's building to try to find anything else out. Time was running out and he knew it. If he could find out anything else, like when they were going to hatch, it would be more than helpful. It could save their lives from a surprise attack or even give them a slight edge. He turned the corner, headed toward the door, before feeling a hand on his shoulder gently pulling him away. "You don't want to go in there."

He turned toward the voice and saw Fay standing there. "It's my job, Fay."

"Maybe, but she'll kill you today," Fay answered conversationally with a slight sneeze afterward. "She's in a nasty mood."

"Is that why you're out here?" Conner asked in confusion and Fay shook her head.

"Nope. I quit," she answered. Conner looked suspicious at that.

"I'm pretty sure you can't quit in the middle of a war," he informed her and she smiled.

"You can," she answered cheerfully. "You just have to go into hiding afterward. Being a double agent will force you to do that."

"Fay?" Conner asked in surprise, but after a minute, it made sense. Ever since he'd started the job, she'd made sure he'd stayed out of Scorpina's wrath since that first "accident". She's showed him how well they could mask themselves and other things. She had also been the one to tell him to go file when he saw the loose files and their subsequent information. "You've been helping me."

"I'm not the only one," she assured him. "Your friend should have set off alarms on the door when you two escaped."

"What about the button?" He asked and she smiled.

"It was the right button, ironically, but we rewired the others just in case," Fay answered. "We were hoping that you would be impulsive. We were not mistaken."

"Who are 'we' exactly?" Conner asked and Fay's smile dampened.

"My race. We are not many," she answered. "But we have the most to lose. We live off particles, not blood or living flesh. Considering that we are the janitors of the species, we're often forgotten by the others. Conner, we've done what we can, but most of us died on the journey here. We can't survive on the dead skin of our own species. I don't want to join them. Here's the last of the information you were looking for."

"Won't you get in trouble for this? I mean, she'll kill you when she finds out!" He exclaimed and she pointed to a couple of suitcases, a cat carrier, and a bird cage. "Oh. Where are you going?"

"Europe. I want to explore this world and the men," she answered slyly. At his look, she smiled. "My kind doesn't kill and I like Earth. I thought I'd stay."

Conner held the files in his hands and glanced at them before looking back at her and making a decision. "Start in England. Work East."

She smiled and nodded, heading off. "Oh, and Conner? You may be able to convince Chelone but don't count on it."

"Thanks, Fay," Conner said honestly. "And if I live through this, put me down as a reference, okay? Just lie and say I was your boss."

She smiled and nodded. Then she turned, gathered her things and headed off. Conner watched her walk off for a minute before turning and heading in a different direction. Had he stayed, he would have seen one of his former coworkers fall to his death out the window due to his boss's temper. Later on, he'd silently thank Fay even more for not letting him stumble into Scorpina's wrath unprepared.

* * *

"That's a mouthful," Kim teased as Trini held up her newborn son for the others to see. The baby was perfectly happy in his mother's arms, eyes closed and fast asleep. "And are you two sure about this?"

Trini laughed and Jason smiled. He nodded. "I'm sure we'll regret it later, but that's his name. Oliver William Taylor Scott. I'm really hoping he'll take after the middle namesake."

"Funny," Tommy answered with his arms folded, but even he was grinning at the tiny baby. He turned to Billy who was just smiling softly as he held Neen up so that she could see Oliver, though she'd been asking to really see him since they heard he was born. Dante was politely watching from a distance, not really knowing what the fuss was over anyway. He knew that babies just slept, cried, and ate. They couldn't fetch and this one couldn't even roll over. The adults, however, had a different view on things and Tommy looked serious for a minute. "You three are staying there, right?"

"Until it's over," Trini promised for the third time. "I'm not sure if I can fight anyway."

"I'll keep them both here," Angela Fairweather-Rawlings assured them. "Are you sure you don't want to send Neen and Dante here?"

"You know we'd love to," Billy answered. "But with all of the unknowns, we don't want the children to be on their way when the eggs hatch. Not to mention there will be some creatures that can swim."

Angela nodded. "I understand."

"We'll see you after the war," Tommy assured them. "I want to see my nephew."

"I would like to see Oliver William Taylor Scott as well," Neen said eagerly. Jason laughed.

"You can call him Oliver, Neen," he assured the girl. "And you'll see him soon enough. Good luck, Guys."

"Thanks," Tommy answered. Jason's face was completely divided, as was Trini's, but she definitely couldn't fight at the moment and Jason needed to stay at her side. Honestly, the base would most likely be defended only until after the other Rangers were dead, but unless there was a miracle, that wouldn't take long.

* * *

Conner set the file down and looked grimly at his mentor. Tommy's eyes closed and he shook his head at the younger man who nodded. They were out of time and out of luck. Any hope for a better solution was gone and two Ranger groups would be slightly late to the fight. They were only lucky that they'd found out about the eggs when they had, but to find out that they had hours, now minutes, instead of days was a serious blow to morale. Billy and Hayley took the two children upstairs to keep them out of the way and out of hearing range. Dante might not catch on too quickly, but Neen surely would. The house was quieter than they'd ever felt it. Tommy turned to the four current Rangers.

"It'll start soon," he told them. "Are you ready?"

"No," Seth said honestly. "But we're doing it anyway."

Tommy nodded and Kim headed over to Red and the rest of the pack who were lying down near the door. "Red, come here," she demanded. He headed over to her obediently and enjoyed the attention she gave him. "Now you listen to me. We need you to take care of these Rangers, do you understand?"

Red looked displeased and looked over at Conner for help. Kim was his Alpha, he needed to do what she demanded, but Seth wasn't his partner. Conner was his human. Conner headed over and looked at Kim who nodded and stepped out of the way to let the Ranger talk. "Look, Red, with everything out there and everything they're fighting, they'll need your help. I can't work with you this time. Seth's your partner now."

Red felt worried and a little hurt by that. He also felt angry, knocking Conner over for the words. The human couldn't just pass him around like he was a toy! He felt ready to do more, but stopped himself as Conner flinched. Angry or not, he wouldn't hurt him that badly. Instead, he headed over to Seth and stood there, not looking in Conner's direction following orders. Seth pulled himself up onto the raptor's back as the others followed his actions. Kira and Ethan headed over to Yellow and Blue, giving their own good-byes which the twin raptors reciprocated. Conner headed toward Red, but the raptor took off out the door before he could. If Conner wanted him to have another partner, then he'd take another, but that didn't mean he'd forgive him for it.

Conner watched as they left and sighed. "Goddamn it, Red," he muttered. He felt Kim put a hand on his shoulder and he gave her a small smile. He didn't have time to worry about the angry raptor. He glanced at the clock. "Thirty minutes."

"We should head out," Tommy agreed. Kira and Ethan grabbed their respective weapons and Tommy tossed Kim her bow. Before they reached the door, the back entrance exploded and the room was overtaken. Thirty minutes until the world went to hell, but they were already there.

* * *

Zack rested his ax on the ground as he waited. Like the others, he'd gotten the announcement that they were out of time and out of luck. They'd barricaded Mr. Collins and the scientists in the building, leaving the Silver Guardians under Zack's order to defend it. Justin stood as his side, blaster ready. "You know how to use that thing?"

Justin jumped and looked at Zack who was grinning. "Don't worry so much," Zack teased. "Just thought I'd break the silence."

"Some people like silence," another voice called out. Zack turned and frowned as Kat Manx joined them.

"We've got this handled," he informed her. Kat raised an eyebrow.

"You have an army handled on your own?" She asked skeptically. "I doubt that."

"Listen, Kitty," Zack snapped. "We're fine."

"Perhaps," she agreed. "But I'm capable."

Zack glanced at Justin, then at the Silver Guardians, and finally back at Dr. Manx. "Fine. But I'm in charge."

"Of course," she said patronizingly. Zack frowned. He'd just think of all the Tarantumen as her. That would be satisfying.

* * *

The thirty minutes passed by quickly for everyone. Seth encouraged Red to go faster, leaping toward the middle of the city. He wasn't disappointed. Several monsters awaited them. It didn't take them long to figure out that they were facing the ticks and scorpions rather than the spiders the others were facing. Just as the scorpions and spiders, the ticks were partially human shaped, making them look even more disgusting. Unlike Scorpina, they were more arachnid than human. The scorpions were large, their tails and pinchers were strong enough to slice through a car, let alone a human. The ticks were shorter, only four feet tall, possibly four and a half in some cases, but they were fat and muscular looking. The Rangers had an eerie feeling that it didn't take much for one to have a human dead once it was able to start drinking. The carnage that the creatures inflicted upon the city was horrifying. Bodies laid before them: some looking like mummies and others in pieces. Screams echoed through the streets, cries rang out for help, and the choked sounds of death left the lips of those unable to escape. To make matters worse, Tarantumen poured out into the street soon after. The raptors left the Rangers, diving into the fight. The four looked out.

"There's so many of them," Tara whispered and Jera put a hand on the other's shoulder. She was right though, they were swarming through the city with a certain ease. Hundreds were climbing buildings, going over cars, and just heading down the streets. Worse, they moved like a swarm than anything else. They barely had to stop, they just went over it.

"'Cannon to right of them,/Cannon to left of them,/Cannon in front of them/Volleyed and thundered,'" Seth whispered at the sight, feeling sick. "'Stormed at with shot and shell,/Boldly they rode and well,/Into the jaws of Death,…'"

"'Into the mouth of Hell/Rode the six hundred.'" Seth glanced over to see that Ben had muttered it with him. He couldn't help but look at the botanist with a bit a respect who looked a little embarrassed. "I like that poem. It fits."

Seth nodded in approval as Ben stood at his left side. "Ready?"

The other three nodded and readied their weapons. Jera sighed from the right and looked at Seth. "Do you have another poem?"

"Just one," he answered. Jera nodded.

"Say it," she commanded.

"I thought you hated it when I told death poems," he mentioned but she shook her head.

"Not this time. Say it," she demanded. He looked at the other two who both nodded and he sighed but his look ended at Ben.

Ben glanced at Seth giving his leader a quick nod as he held his weapon firmly in his grasp. Though fear enveloped him, he wasn't about to let it get the upper hand and he was proud enough, like the other three before him, to go down as Power Rangers. Seth took a step forward, heading toward the swarms of monsters and took a deep breath. The swarm came at them. As he spoke, they headed into the fight that their predecessors were fighting miles away.

_This story shall the good man teach his son;  
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,_

Kat and Tanya raced to Aisha's side, helping her up. Rocky and Adam managed to kill a few others, pushing them away until they could get her out of harm's way. They hid behind the building, trying to get a few shots in but the creatures just kept coming. Kat looked at Adam and Rocky and motioned for them to take another side. They couldn't let themselves get surrounded. Tanya stayed by Aisha, who continually tried to get up. One of the Tarantumen leapt down upon them, directly onto Aisha, and Kat winced as she heard the break and Aisha's eyes glaze over. Tanya and Kat killed the creature and Kat was relieved when she felt a pulse from the Aisha even if she was no longer conscious. She glanced up and relief nearly overtook her when Andros and his team came running. Still, the swarm came. Kat glanced her friend over and made sure she wasn't going to die, but the sight before her told her that even with the Space Ranger's help, Aisha probably would have company if she did.

_From this day to the ending of the world,  
But we in it shall be remembered-  
_

Carter threw one aside and Kelsey managed to kill it. Joel tossed it to the side and continually shot another, hitting it until it died. The three stayed close together as Chad stayed closer to the other group. Dana was racing around, flanked by her brother and father as Chad watched around for them. She was simultaneously shooting and attempting to tell if citizens were dead or alive. If alive, she could instruct others to help them. Her three bodyguards were making sure no one got too close. Yet, even with the shooting and plan, the area was getting smaller by the minute. The Galaxy Rangers were heading toward them, motioning for them to follow through the small, but welcomed opening. On the other side, their hope fled as more came. It was only a small reprieve.

_We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;  
_

Wes grunted as he hit the ground, falling out of morph. He pulled himself back to his feet, happy when Eric's Quantum Defender blasted the creature across the courtyard. Though, a look to Eric told Wes that he was a fraction away from losing his own morph. Wes collected his energy and joined the other, both of them looking on firmly. A well-placed shot caused Wes to smile a bit as the Calvary arrived in the form of Taylor and the Wild Force Rangers, completely morphed as they had somehow convinced Shayla to awaken. Their Zords tore through some of them, but looked like a creature covered in ants or fleas. They wouldn't be able to hold out for long. It wasn't much, but it would keep them all alive a while longer.

_For he to-day that sheds his blood with me  
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,  
_

Dustin pulled himself underground to lessen the blow the monster had given to him. He popped back up a moment later, needing to duck as Shane went over his head. Tori hit the Tarantumen with water to keep them away as their students copied their teachers. A glance to her left told her that Hunter, Blake, and Cam were still alive as Cam's well-placed attacks worked well along the former Thunder Rangers. The three winds nodded and combined their own attacks, but it was only slowing the creatures down. Eventually, they'd tire and the monsters would win.

_This day shall gentle his condition;  
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed  
_

Elsa sat quietly on the couch in Mercer's living room. She wasn't making much of a sound, though the rapping on the windows told her that the Tarantumen had found them. She gulped down the sake on the table and glanced at the doorway from one of the other rooms were Mercer stood. She headed over to him, handing him the other cup which he followed her lead on before handing her one of the weapons that Hayley had prepared. He took her hand in his and they stood ready as the onslaught on the house continued.

_Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,  
_

Trent urged everyone out of the building as it started to collapse. He really wished Ethan was there as the other might have been able to keep it upright. Still, nearly everyone was out and that was what mattered. The building shook again and he grabbed the person nearest to the door, dragging them away as the building collapsed. He'd seen her companion a little further back and silently cursed himself for not noticing the signs quicker. If he lived, he'd find out who had been left behind.

_And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks  
_

Zack cut through another with the ax, pleased at Hayley's craftsmanship. They were losing Guardians left and right, but they continued. Dr. Manx was a lot faster than he gave her credit for and she had come prepared. Several Tarantumen died at her hands. Justin did well himself, managing to shoot and guard the door. Zack knew they were losing ground and that soon they would have their backs literally against the wall. He felt another step lost and saw another Guardian go down. It wasn't long now.

_That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day._

Seth finished and looked at the others. He gave a quick nod and they rushed into the fight, slashing and killing as many as they could as they stayed together. Seth's words ran through their minds and they pushed further, not willing to give in and die so easily. A loud noise told them that their Zords had arrived, which was helpful considering that three of the ticks grew right before that. They were fighting on the ground and by Zord now.

* * *

Tommy groaned as he felt something pick him up. His head was aching and he wasn't sure he wanted to see anyway. After a minute, he was able to process that his hands were tied firmly behind him and that his sword was no longer near him. He was on his knees, being held down. A glance to his right showed him that Kim was in the same position, right down to the moaning. He glanced to see if Billy was there too, but they hadn't gotten to the other man, fortunately, which meant that Neen and Dante were safe as well.

"She bit me! The little bitch bit me!" A complaint rang out behind him. Unfortunately, his students were not. "And I'm not touching that red one! He already took out Buthida."

"Stop whining, Lei," a man demanded. "If you handled them differently, they'd never have the chance to harm you."

"But Chelone!" The other whined. "She bit me again!"

"Pan, take her," Chelone ordered. Tommy could hear the grumbling. "All that complaint over one human."

"Yes, Sir. I've got her, Sir," another said. He sounded higher up and there were few complaints afterward.

"I believe they're waking up." Tommy's eyes widened at that and looked straight at Scorpina who was standing directly in front of him, ready and willing to kill him and his wife. He managed to look behind him and saw all three of the Dino Thunder Rangers struggling. "It's about time."

Several words came to his mind at that, not particularly nice words, but still words. Kim's eyes were narrowed and she was obviously thinking the same things he was. After a minute, Tommy's judgment finally caught up with him, giving him more useful words to say. "Why aren't we dead?"

Scorpina motioned to the screen behind her. "I'm waiting."

"For what?" Tommy demanded and she rolled her eyes.

"For my army to destroy yours," she answered. "I want you to know your planet is doomed before I kill you."

"Bitch," Kim informed her. Tommy looked at the screens instead. Their enemy wasn't too far off. They others were struggling, but they weren't gaining ground and several of the survalence equipment had already given out. The only one that they weren't covering was the Lightspeed Base which hopefully meant she didn't know about it. He hoped that Trini and Jason were okay. He hoped the baby was okay.

"Uncle Tommy? Is everything satisfactory down there? We heard some noise." Tommy's heart stopped as Neen's voice reached him. He could tell that she was heading toward the stairs and wondered when he'd missed them opening.

"It's fine, Neen," he lied quickly. "Some stuff just broke. Conner tripped into it."

"I can help you clean it up," Neen offered, still coming toward the stairs.

"It's okay. Why don't you go back to coloring?" Tommy pushed. He knew that it wasn't going to work. Neen was too clever and she knew he was lying by this point. Unfortunately, unlike her father, she was too young to understand that he was trying to keep her safe.

Ethan turned to Chelone and Scorpina. "Look, she's six," he said softly. "She's not going to give it up and she's not much of a threat. I can keep her up there and get her Dad down here instead. You want Billy, right? Fair trade?"

Scorpina's eyes lit up at that like Ethan guessed they would. "Chelone, go with him," she demanded. "Stay out of sight and bring both Billy and Ethan back."

"Yes, Milady," Chelone answered and directed Ethan toward the stairs. Ethan didn't bother to look back to see the disappoint or horror on his friends' faces. Chelone lead him upward and he met Neen starting down.

"Upstairs," he said cheerfully. "There's some broken stuff and we don't want you to get cut. Where's your dad?"

"In the kitchen," Neen answered, sounding more than a little suspicious. Ethan could understand that. He looked at her seriously.

"Why don't you and Dante go play in Uncle Tommy and Aunt Kimberly's room for a while?" He forcefully suggested. She looked unhappy about it, but took the hint. Grabbing Dante's hand, she headed into the main bedroom. Billy had already headed out and Chelone saw no reason to continue hiding by this point.

"You are to come with me," Chelone informed him. He grabbed Ethan's by the back of the neck. "Now."

"Chelone," Ethan started, doing his best to pull this off. Saving Neen had given him the opportunity he needed to get the warrior away from his mistress. "You said it before, that she was dooming your people. Look, I know I said I'd follow Conner for a long time, but if he was going to get Kira killed and Neen killed and others killed because he was too stubborn, I wouldn't."

"You would kill him?" Chelone demanded skeptically and Ethan took a minute. Could he kill Conner if Conner had gotten that bad? His mind headed to Trent and how he'd been last year. If it was to come down to them or him, they would have defended themselves. If Conner lost it completely, he was capable of killing and injuring hundreds, if not thousands of people. No matter how close he was to him, Ethan wouldn't let him. He swallowed hard, but he had his answer.

"Yes."

Chelone nodded and dropped him. "Teleport down," he suggested. "She won't suspect it."

Billy looked at Ethan, who nodded. He glanced back at Chelone. "Thank you."

"I will protect my people. Even from my queen," he answered. He stood back as they teleported down to the lair.

The sheer shock of teleporting did the trick. While it was only a three second delay, the surprise allowed the Rangers to get the upper hand a bit. At the very least, they had weapons and were able to fight again. Ethan struggled against his until the top half of the creature he'd been battling fell on him. He looked up in shock to see Chelone standing over the body.

The warrior turned toward another and raised his weapon in an attack, forcing it from Kira before he killed it completely. The others backed away and the Rangers were able to take them on easier. Ethan turned to give his thanks to the old warrior, but his voice was caught in his throat as Scorpina's Stinger ran him through. The blood flooded to Chelone's mouth and he looked at her. She looked at him back sympathetically reaching out affectionately and brushing back his hair a bit. He gave her a slight nod of his head to her and looked toward Ethan, offering him the ghost of a smile. Ethan gave a small smile back and nearly called out when she cleaved Chelone's head from his body. There was no shock or dismay on Chelone's face, only pain and acceptance. Knowing she was outnumbered, and before Ethan could say a word, she left. Ethan returned to the fight, knowing the others needed his help.

They finished the rest off quickly enough. There hadn't been many to begin with after all. Ethan headed toward Chelone's corpse and looked at it. He reached for the head and felt a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. A glance up showed him Tommy shaking his head before looking at the body himself. After a minute, the mentor spoke. "You were right about him. You and Conner were both right."

"She escaped," Ethan answered, not really knowing what else to say. Anything else just sounded hollow. "She killed him and left."

Tommy nodded. "We'll go after her," he promised.

Kira looked over. "I think Conner already has."

* * *

Seth piloted the Phoenix the best he could. He winced as the Zord cried out as more of the creatures tried to overtake it. Only the Dragon was having any luck with being able to take out more than swarmed it. He glanced over to see the Hippocampus try to get back up again and, in a clever move, leapt up and back into the ground before pulling itself back out. For a second, there was nothing on it. If there was someone who was having the most difficulty, it was definitely Tara and Gryphon. They'd managed to ground the Zord and were enjoying trying to take it apart.

They hadn't dared try to bring them together yet. They weren't sure if they'd end up with more of the creatures in the Zord as well as out and they couldn't handle that at the moment. None of this, of course, was including the already enlarged creatures that were giving them a second beating on top of it. He didn't mean to whine, but it was getting increasingly unfair. "Ben! Cover Tara!"

"I'll try!" Came the response. The dragon moved a bit, lumbering toward the Gryphon. He tried to take them on by an aerial attack. Tara herself was trying to throw them off. It was just not working. One of the larger creatures managed to get close and tore one of the Gryphon's wings off. It screeched in pain, but pulled itself up. Ben took the creature away, knocking it around a bit. Jera slammed it with the Hippocampus, though they were being torn apart as well to a lesser degree.

Tara managed to move the Gryphon into place and held the creature in place with Jera's help. Ben's Dragon stomped it and Seth dive bombed it. After a minute, they were sure it was dead. They turned their attention to the remaining two, but one of them tore the Gryphon directly in half. Tara managed, quickly to evacuate and landed, painfully, on the ground. Seth's heart nearly stopped. "Tara? Are you okay?"

"Yeah," came the response. "And I have an idea!"

"Do it!" Seth told her, not waiting. He was ready for any suggestions.

To their surprise, the creatures began to float upward, aided by a whirlwind. The others quickly took advantage of the situation, tearing at them when they couldn't fight. It was far quicker after that and less deadly for their side. The creatures were killed and they calmed themselves. Seth grinned as he called into his communicator. "Great thinking, Tara!"

There wasn't a response.

* * *

Conner raced after Scorpina which, even with his super speed, was difficult. She was able to jump building to building while he had to use stairs or stay on the ground. He'd chosen the latter until she stopped. He wasn't surprised to see that she'd stopped at her own building and he didn't have a problem finding a way up. He'd expected her to run when he reached the top, but she didn't. Instead, she laughed. "I knew it would be you."

"Stop this," Conner demanded. He pointed to the streets where the Tarantumen swarmed and toward the large scale battle further off. He couldn't see much, but Ben's Dragon and Seth's Phoenix managed to destroy one of the creatures before heading toward another. He couldn't see how the others were doing.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because it's wrong! Your own people won't survive!" Conner answered. "Whatever happened, I know…"

"You know. You know?" She turned on him and Conner backed up at bit. "You know how I lost my husband? How I lost my Mistress and Master? How I had left the galaxy only to return to find that they were changed or dead? How I lost my baby because I was forced to flee so that he and I didn't perish as well? It didn't work. The constant movement and change of temperatures made him sick. He didn't live to his first birthday. But you know!"

"Scorpina," Conner said softly. "I'm sorry."

"You're what?" She demanded and he nodded.

"That really does suck," he agreed. "But Tommy and Kim were retired by the time the wave of good hit. And the current Rangers were trying to survive themselves. We lost Zordon in that fight. That's how it happened."

"It's not enough," she answered angrily.

"And what would be? You can't do this," Conner answered. "Listen, you're not good, I know that, but I don't think you're totally evil either. This isn't going to bring him back. Just stop."

She was quiet for a moment and Conner didn't say anything else. After a minute, she looked at him. "What would you give up for me to stop?"

He paused and looked at her. "Anything."

"Your life?" She asked and he nodded. She headed toward him, bringing her weapon out. He took a breath and stood straight, ready to die. "I thought so."

She was close to him. He looked back at her. "You stop them and you can have it," he promised her. She closed her eyes and he could feel the life of all the creatures she had brought, or at least the ones fighting. He didn't know how, though Billy would tell him later how old of magic it was. A small crystal shattered from her upper arm that he'd never noticed. Her eyes were no longer human, no longer normal. They were blackened and lightened and Conner couldn't figure out how they could be both.

"You know, you Rangers are always willing to sacrifice your lives in return for peace," she mentioned. She looked at him seriously, though Conner could see that she was crazed by this point. Any sort of sanity had seemingly fled with that last act. "You told me, Little Red, that you would be willing to do anything."

Conner nodded and she stood close to him, near the edge of the building. Conner's heart was beating fast. "I am."

He felt her thrust something into her hands and she took a step back onto the ledge. He looked down and saw the weapon in his hands. "Then cut me down."

"Aren't you going to fight back?" He asked. She shook her head.

"No. I don't want your life," she answered. He tried to drop it, but she forced her hands down on it. "Now you have two choices, Conner. Either you kill me, or I jump. I'll die either way, but if you don't kill me, then I'll order the others to fight to the death and you won't have a way to stop them. If you kill me, most will die alongside me and the rest will stop to find a new Queen. Now, choose."

_Never escalate a fight._ He'd followed the three rules to the max, never breaking one. Technically, the battle was already escalated but he wasn't fighting the other creatures, he was fighting her. Was this like when Andros killed Zordon to save the universe at the Eltarian's request or was it different? He'd been an ally and Scorpina certainly wasn't. He wasn't even an active Ranger any longer, but the rule still went through his head. It wasn't as if she was rushing him and he was defending herself. He would be murdering her. He held it tight and looked at her, disgusted that she already knew the choice he'd make. She didn't want his life, she wanted his soul. He accepted the terms.

The sword easily cut into her and Conner found he couldn't let it go from shock. She grabbed hold of his shirt as she started to fall. "I told you. You're mine."

He somehow managed to let go of the sword and let her pull off the shirt, though he was struggling to keep his balance. She fell completely from the rooftop and he heard the thud. He blindly reached out as his balance failed and he began to follow her, but something pushed into him and he managed to fall back on to the roof. He looked up to see Red standing over him. He looked at his hands, shaking, and then at Red. If the raptor had a problem with it, he didn't act like it. He moved back toward Conner and didn't move, staying there until other voices came. Conner leaned into him. The screams and destruction had halted. At least here, it had ended.

* * *

Author's Note: I am so sorry it took me so long. So, I'll try to do better. Here's this section though. I have the next bit mostly written, but I need to look it over and fix it. So, it's good to see you all again and thank you for all of the wonderful reviews!


	14. Aftermath

Over. That was all Kira could call it. Over. The battle was ended, the creatures dead in the street, the crowds still trying to make it to somewhere safe. She'd been shocked to see the enemy fall dead in the middle of the fight when the former Rangers had been making their way to Scorpina, not upset but definitely shocked. Calls had come across the communicators in the Lair to let them know that it had ended everywhere. Just as quickly as it had begun, it ended. Those that had stayed out of the fight, still on the ship had surrendered, merely asking for permission to leave Earth. The fight itself was over.

Yet, the word "over" didn't mean that there was nothing left to do. Overworked ambulances, police that didn't lay dead in the streets, firefighters were all out trying to deal with the damage left in the wake. Seth had let them know that the battle was over for them as well before hanging up. She didn't know everything, but pieces of some of their Zords were scattered throughout the city. She'd tried to make her way to them, but the police had blocked it off to normal citizens to keep the Power Rangers from getting swarmed. Unless she wanted to give away her identity, she wasn't able to check in on them physically.

The raptors had made their way to their partners during the fight, helping them to fight off the Tarantumen. She knew they'd be dead without the help. Yellow had a limp as he scuffled behind her and Blue had stayed behind with Black who wasn't getting up at the minute. Hayley could fix him, but there was little she could do at the moment. Yellow chirped and looked upward. She paused and glanced up as well, seeing something shine up there.

"Oh God." She jumped at the voice and Ethan looked embarrassed, but pointed over to a bloody corpse beside him. Through the golden armor, she recognized their now former enemy. Her sword was laying beside her, covered in blood along with the rest of her. There wasn't much else to link the corpse to the warrior. Her bones were smashed and Kira was guessing if they turned her over, various organs would hang out. Kira's heart seemed to stop. She looked around for Conner and then looked at Ethan. Both of them headed up the stairs quickly. They could hear their mentors on their heels.

She reached the top of the stairs and saw the rest. She was pretty sure that Conner wouldn't be able to sit that way if he was dead not to mention he was leaning into Red which came as a relief. The raptor was just quiet, not moving, leaving his head on top of Conner's.

_The raptors tore into their prey, diving and kicking them back. Red's tail hit one of them so hard that it left a crack in the brick wall it landed against. Yellow and Blue worked together perfectly, allowing for both of their strengths to kick in. Black tore into the back of another. Kira started to use the opportunity to get to Conner, but another got in her way. "There's too many, Doctor O! We won't get to him!"_

_ She never heard her teacher's answer. She did, however, see Red lift his head and look around. After a minute, he chirped loudly and took off in a different direction as fast as he could. They were left with the others to fight._

She'd been furious with him at the time, but now she understood. She headed over, petting Red as she did so and sitting across from her boyfriend. He didn't look up. She reached over and pulled him into a hug, not sure what else to do. He didn't push away, but he did little else. After a minute, he pulled her back to him. They stayed there for a minute or two before Ethan came over. "What happened?"

It was said gently, though it sounded so loud in spite of everything. Conner looked at him. "It's over."

"I know," Ethan assured him. "How?"

"I shoved her sword through her," he answered. The implications were unspoken. They all knew what he'd done. After a minute, Ethan nodded.

"Sounds good."

* * *

"Kat?" The pink Ranger moaned as the voice spoke, her head reeling. She glanced up through her good eye, the other being swollen shut, to see Adam looking at her. She reached up, taking his hand as he helped her up. He didn't look much better than her, though she was nearly certain that his back wasn't as scratched up as hers. "How is she?"

"If we can get her to a doctor, she'll live," Kat said honestly, looking down at Aisha. "I think."

Adam nodded, knowing they were going off the knowledge they'd gotten from years of Rangering rather than an actual medical background. "Rocky lost his arm."

Kat's head whipped around look at Adam. "I need to go check on him. Keep an eye on Aisha?"

Adam gave a quick nod, taking the girl from Kat. "I've got her," he promised, looking down at his old friend. When he thought Kat was gone, he leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Let's get you to a doctor. I promise, Aisha. We'll do this together."

Kat rushed over to Rocky who had managed to stop the bleeding. If Kat wanted to be honest, the Power had probably stopped the bleeding. He looked up at her, offering a weak smile. Tanya was sitting next to him, trying to keep him comfortable. "Hey Kat," he said. "I think we're done."

"You're definitely done," she answered. "How are you?"

"I'm not going to go into shock, if that's what you're worried about," he assured her. "It's just an arm. I have another."

She felt like yelling at him. She, instead, nearly collapsed to the ground and gave him the biggest hug she could manage. He reached up, giving her a half hug with his other arm. Neither said a word, nor did Tanya even when they pulled her into their hug a little roughly. They'd call in soon, after dropping Aisha and Rocky off at a hospital, but for now they just took the moment to rest and enjoy the fact they were still alive.

* * *

Andros glanced over his own team. He's have to worry about Kat's later. TJ was clutching Cassie, who may have still been conscious but was covered in streaks of blood. She's lost her morph in the middle of being thrown against some rubble. "Cassie?"

Cassie forced herself to look up and offered a strong, but tired smile in his direction. "I'll live."

Carlos held his arm and helped Ashley over to the others. Karone joined her brother from the other side, having chosen to be with her brother this time. She reached out to Cassie, checking her over while Zhane started ripping his own clothing for bandages. He gave a quick nod to Karone and the two worked together to bandage Cassie up. "They're deep," he whispered to Andros when he finished. "She's going to scar."

"At least she's alive," Karone hissed.

Andros didn't bother to get involved with the debate. He walked over to where TJ held her and looked her in the eye. "You're going to live, Cassie," he began and she nodded. He motioned to one of the more prominent cuts. "But…"

"The power might help me," she answered. Andros nodded.

"It might not," he warned her. She shrugged.

"Phantom won't care," she answered. "You won't care. And I don't give a damn what anyone else thinks."

Andros knew a lot of it was bluster, but that was how Cassie handled things. For now, he just nodded and pulled away, glancing over his other teammates to see how they were. "Hayley, Andros. We all survived, but Cassie is wounded. We lost contact with Kat's team a while ago…"

* * *

A horrified scream brought Carter and Leo out of their quiet conversation. They had already found Kendrix and Maya unconscious and concussed from a nearby explosion. They needed medical assistance, but Carter was certain they'd be alright. Mike, Kai, Kelsey, and Damon were staying with them. "Carter!"

Chad's voice forced Carter to rush quicker than he would have liked, having hurt his leg in the battle. It was healing, but he knew he shouldn't be pushing it. That said, the sobbing he heard forced him to ignore that as Ryan was holding Dana back, her hands slamming against his chest. Chad had his arms folded and looked helplessly at them. "Oh no," Carter whispered as he glanced at Captain Mitchell's bloodied corpse lying on the ground.

"A little help, Carter?" Ryan begged as he simultaneously tried to stop Dana from attacking him and tried to keep her away from her dead father. Carter rushed over and took Dana from him as Ryan held her from behind. The two of them managed to hold her as she sobbed, helping her to the ground when she finally ran out of adrenaline.

Leo glanced over at Chad. "Make sure they get to a hospital," he said softly. "I'll call in."

"Ryan says we'll have a memorial as soon as we can," Chad informed him, leaving Leo to make the call as he headed over to help his teammates. Carter gave him a quick nod. "Carter, we need to get to a hospital."

"There isn't…" he started before his leg reminded him that Chad wasn't meaning that for Captain Mitchell. He meant it for the rest of them. "Right. Dana, we need to go."

"We can't just…" she started. Ryan gently kissed the top of her head.

"I'll carry him," he promised. "We won't leave him here."

Carter started to help her when he heard a broken sob from behind him. He glanced back realized that with his sister taken care of, Ryan had broke as well. He headed back, still holding Dana and set an arm around the other man, staying near both siblings. He glanced back at Chad. "We'll be there as soon as we can," he told him. Chad nodded, turning to leave as Carter stayed with the siblings.

* * *

"Eric, if you don't stay down, I'm going to sic Taylor on you," Wes warned. He gently, but firmly used the arm that didn't ache to keep his partner down.

"She's busy with Cole," Eric reminded him. "She'll tell you to stop bothering her."

"Cole can't keep her attention forever," Wes said. "So stay down!"

"I'm fine," Eric grumbled, but finally did as Wes ordered. "How is he?"

"He's not bleeding anymore," Wes answered. "But there's nothing there. Just a socket."

"Did they find the eye?" Eric asked and Wes shook his head.

"We don't think it's in one piece anymore," he answered. "It's not bothering Cole. He's over there cheering that we won."

"Figures." Eric pushed himself up and looked at Wes. "You want your dad or Tommy?"

"Dad," Wes answered, moving a bit away for an easier call. Eric sighed, but did the same.

* * *

"How is he, Tori?" Cam asked as he looked over at Dustin. The younger man was clinging to the Blue Wind Ranger and breathing heavily. Shane was next to him, forcing air into his friend's lungs.

"He'll be okay, Cam. Is it dead?" She asked.

"I killed it before they all just died, Tori," he assured her. There was a slight darkness in his tone that Tori caught, but didn't mention it. They hadn't escaladed anything, but that had certainly been more in revenge than in survival.

"Good," she answered. "How are the students?"

"What students?" Cam asked, sounding far older and more tired than he had before. At her look, he shook his head. "We lost most of them, Tori. They were still learning. Hunter and Blake are checking for survivors."

Tori nodded. "Got it."

"I need to call Hayley," he said after a minute.

"We'll be here," she promised. "I've got it. Go."

"Thank you," he whispered and headed back toward his computer to call.

* * *

"Elsa?" Mercer's voice carried over the rubble to where she was lying. She moaned a bit as she tried to move. Fortunately, nothing felt broken. She heard a bit of movement near her as Sander came toward her, helping her to her feet.

"I'm fine," she assured him. "Nothing big landed on me."

"Good," he answered, sounding more than a little relieved. "Sander?"

"I'm fine, sir. As is Maribeth and Vince," he answered. "However, when you rebuild the house, you will require new kitchen utensils, sir."

"Thank you, Sander," he answered. "Elsa, can you call Hayley?"

"Of course," she answered. "Where's your communicator?"

"Under three feet of debris," he answered. "I'd prefer to get it later."

* * *

He needed to start asking Conner for more information. That was all that came to Trent's mind at first. He'd gotten several people clapping him on the shoulder and the term hero had been stated, but he didn't feel much like it right now. He felt horrified by those who hadn't made it. He wondered if his father and step-mother were okay. He wondered if Conner, Kira, and Ethan were alive. For the first time, in a long time, Trent looked at his communicator without it going off at him.

He pressed a couple of buttons and took a breath. "Hayley?"

_"Trent?"_ Hayley's voice pierced through any more resistance that he had.

"Yeah, uh, is everyone…?" He started.

_"We don't know,"_ she answered. _"We're still getting in reports."_

"Oh, yeah. Okay," he answered. He paused for a minute before he said anything else. "Hayley? When you have a minute, can you bring me home?"

There was a slight pause on her end before she answered. _"The moment we can, I'll transport you."_

"Thanks, Hayley," he whispered and let his feels for the day catch up with him. He stayed where he was and waited.

* * *

After fifteen minutes of trying to convince Conner to go to the hospital to get a psychological evaluation, Tommy finally gave up and led the group back home. The raptors had managed to get Black onto the twins backs to get him home. Kira and Ethan were staying near their friend who was extremely quiet. Kim glanced over at her husband who gave a slight shrug in response.

"How bad is it?" Tommy asked as he headed into the semi-destroyed Lair. The computers were fortunately still at work and Hayley turned to him.

"Bad," she answered. "For the most part, it's just cuts and bruises, a few broken bones. Everyone is going to need bed rest. Eric broke five ribs and his leg, the other ankle is sprained. Cole lost his eye at some point, but he just seems happy enough that we won, so no one is bringing it up other than for medical attention. How he grew up might all have something to do with that. Trent is alive. He's coming home soon. Elsa and Mercer were fortunate enough to stay out of the battle until the very end. He'll have to rebuild the house, but they're fine. Ninja Storm nearly lost Dustin when one of the Tarantumen turned out to be more of a trap-door spider. He was moving underground and landed in the trap, fought, and then tried to move through the earth while injured. He nearly suffocated."

"Is he alright?" Kim asked and Hayley nodded.

"Tori and Shane were able to get it out," she answered. "Blake and Hunter were able to restart his heart. Along with Shane helping him breathe, he'll be fine. Over half their students are dead though," she said and paused. "Cassie was full-on attacked. Andros says that she's going to make it, but she was badly torn up. The Power concentrated on helping her live but she's going to be scarred. Kendrix and Maya were taken to a hospital soon after. They're still unconscious. Leo promised to call with any other details. He also wanted to let you know that Captain Mitchell is dead."

Kim and Tommy were both quiet for a minute after that. Kim finally looked at Hayley. "Dana, Ryan?"

"Dana especially was crying in the background," Hayley answered. "Ryan mentioned that they'd host a memorial service soon."

"Tell them we'll be there," Tommy said and Hayley nodded. He wasn't stupid. They were missing three more teams: Zack's, Kat's, and Seth's. "Do we…?"

"No word," she answered. "Andros mentioned that they weren't dead from what he knew, but they were separated in the fight. Considering that they have their own team's problems…"

"Got it," Tommy answered, trying not to be short about it.

"You sound worried." Tommy and Kim turned to look at Zack as he limped in with Dr. Manx on one side and Justin on the other. "Wes and Eric are going to have to have a recruitment party, but there are some of the Silver Guardians left and Mr. Collins' is still in business."

"Zack!" Kim said and rushed over, helping him to a seat. "Have you ever heard of calling?"

"Conner never does. Tommy never does," Zack answered with a slight smile. Kim shook her head at her childhood friend.

"That doesn't make it right! Conner's usually unconscious and Tommy's a Red," she answered. "You're a Black."

"Tommy was Black," Zack teased her. "And White and Green."

"Zack…" Kim answered, but she was still smiling. She turned to see Tommy checking over Justin while Hayley and Dr. Manx were quietly talking by the computer. "You're bringing home scientists now?"

Zack scowled. "Not by choice," he muttered. "But it stopped her from calling me a stubborn, idiotic… So I let her help me."

Justin grinned cheekily. "After a five minute argument!" He added. Zack gave him a look.

"Who asked you?" He demanded, looking put out. Tommy grinned over at him.

"Payback," Tommy informed him.

"Yeah, yeah."

Kim rolled her eyes at them both. Billy headed back down the stairs quietly, sitting down. "How are the kids, Billy?"

"Neen and Dante are quietly watching a movie. Kira, Ethan, and Conner are asleep in the spare bedroom. The raptors are stretched out across the room, other than Black," he answered, motioning to the offline raptor near the secret entrance. He left the answer there, knowing that Kim knew the rest of the answer. "I see Zack and Justin made it back."

"Yep. Zack's even making new friends," Kim answered.

"Drop it, Kim," Zack muttered. Kim just grinned and winked at Billy who coughed to hide his own chuckles. The mood shifted as the communicator turned on. Kat was heading it. Adam was looking over her shoulder with a slight nod.

"Kat, Adam!" Kim said happily before taking in the sight. "Who…?"

"Rocky and Aisha," Kat answered. At the start of Kim's tears, Kat quickly continued. "They're not dead. They just needed medical attention."

"Rocky lost his arm," Adam said seriously. "We're still not sure how it happened, but it's missing. The power managed to cauterize it."

Kim nodded, not sure what else to say. After a minute, she finally managed to squeak out: "Aisha?"

"She was thrown around badly, Kim," Kat answered. "We tried to fight them off of her, but it damaged her spinal cord. They don't know how badly yet, but…"

Kat's voice broke a bit and while Adam's started to shake, he finished it for her. "She's paralyzed."

"Oh God," Kim muttered and Tommy put an arm around her. She looked back up at Adam. "But they'll…"

"They'll live," Adam assured her. "And the rest of us are fine. We'll be home as soon as we can."

"Thanks, guys," Tommy said and, with a nod, they exited out. It was silent after that until Tommy tried to reach Seth and the others again to no avail. He shook his head to Kim and looked at Billy who looked as tired at he felt. They sat down, working together to try to find them.

The teens had woken up, quietly helping the adults with the search. Unfortunately, either they couldn't be found or were actively hiding. Both were possibilities. Thus, they weren't expecting it when a red helmet crashed against the wall, causing everyone to look over quickly. Seth limped back into the room, holding his leg and being supported by Jera. His wrist was pulsing, the sphere a bright red, but the communication part of it was obviously broken. A quick glance to Jera's showed the same.

Kira rushed over to help Jera while Ethan headed toward Seth, who pushed him away. He glared at them both, then at Conner and finally at Tommy and Kim as he walked over and took off his morpher. "It's over."

Tommy was ready to ask him about it when he heard Kim gasp. Tears were running down Ben's face as he carried Tara's limp and very broken body down the stairs. They all moved out of the way as he headed over to Tommy, gently setting the shattered remains of Tara's sphere into his hand. The elder man's hand clenched around it and he turned away from the others.

"It's not your fault," Ben offered softly. Everyone turned to look at him. Seth looked ready to protest, but Jera shot him a quick look. Ben continued. "She loved being a Ranger. Nothing made her happier or prouder."

"She was a damn good one," Tommy whispered.

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry it took me a little while. This was a hard chapter to write. I knew what I wanted to have happen, but it was still hard. The next chapter will be the end of this story. So, I hope you enjoy! Also, the two poems from the last story were _The Charge of the Light Brigade _by Lord Alfred Tennyson and "The St. Crispen's Day Speech" from Shakespeare's _Henry V._ I forgot to give credit last time and I apologize.


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